


The Inu Youkai Tattoo

by Bratist



Series: The Inu Tattoo [1]
Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, BDSM, Bondage, Brat, F/M, Minor Original Character(s), One Shot, Orgasm Denial, Sexual Content, Slight Humor, Spanking, Tattoo, d/s dynamics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-14 09:53:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 22,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29540571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bratist/pseuds/Bratist
Summary: Kagome is a simple woman with simple enough needs. She just wants to live her life and forget that she's been forced to leave behind her beloved community in Chicago. She needs to be a respectable Japanese woman, helping her sister with the shrine. Inuyasha needs someone to come with him to his half-brother's welcome home party though, so Kagome steps up to the plate.Isn't it odd when said half-brother seems to recognize Kagome's elaborate tattoo at the party?**Disclaimer** While this story can still stand-alone as a one-shot, I did decide to continue it with a Part 2 Series. You can choose to look into the Part Two (Titled The Inu Kami Tattoo) or choose to leave things here as they stand. :) All up to you!
Relationships: Higurashi Kagome & InuYasha, Higurashi Kagome/Sesshoumaru, InuYasha/Kikyou (InuYasha)
Series: The Inu Tattoo [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2207826
Comments: 25
Kudos: 82





	The Inu Youkai Tattoo

**Author's Note:**

> This was not beta'd. I apologize for any and all grammatical errors I missed in the making of this work. Long works make it hard to catch every error... My heart goes out to all my fellow grammar nazis who stumble upon something I missed.

Kagome gave a sigh as she ran her finger down the center of her neck. The feeling of loneliness raced through her constantly. She missed her ex, but not in the right way. She didn’t miss him because she loved him or because they were so good together. No, she missed him because of what he could do for her. The way he caused her toes to curl every time that voice called her ‘kitten’ in that way. The amusement in his eyes that made her pant whenever he punished her for her latest prank. But they hadn’t been a good fit, in the end. Even if they were amazing together during play and in the bedroom, a relationship needed more to be successful. When he wasn’t in brat-tamer mode, she found him frustrating. And he found it frustrating that she oftentimes couldn’t shut off her brat mode. Ending the relationship was good for the both of them. Didn’t mean she didn’t miss having someone.

Three years. She hadn’t been part of the scene for three years and she _missed_ it. She missed the feeling of walking into a club and playing for a few hours. She missed being able to place her complete and unwavering trust in another individual. She missed the connections she would make. But she chose to move back home to help her sister Kikyou with the family shrine while Kikyou was busy working at the hospital.

Of course, the move back wasn’t all bad. Kagome gave a small smile at the thought. It was nice to see her best friend again, though finding out that Inuyasha and Kikyou had hit it off during the five years Kagome had been off in America was a bit odd. Kagome always figured Kikyou would marry some well-dressed rich guy who reeked of old money and entitlement. Not… Inuyasha.

It wasn’t that Inuyasha didn’t come from a well-off family or that Kikyou was a gold-digger. Simply because her sister deserved the world, had earned the world. Kikyou was perfect in Kagome’s eyes. The perfect daughter, the perfect doctor, the perfect woman. She had an air of regality to her and always knew what to say and how to say it. Inuyasha was brash, hot-headed, and hated anything that required him to dress in something fancier than a t-shirt and jeans. Which was probably why he was Kagome’s best friend. They were thick as thieves in high school and could talk about anything together.

 _Almost_ anything.

Kagome didn’t want to even think about talking to Inuyasha about her… Other life. There’s no way he’d understand her need to being _made_ to behave by someone who enjoyed her antics and could take it in stride.

Kagome lifted her head swiftly at the sound of the front door slamming open, signaling Inuyasha’s arrival. A smirk appeared on her lips as she turned in her seat at the counter to look at the heavily breathing male, who was currently casting her a pleading look.

“You know, you’re going to break that door one day,” she informed him, taking in his disheveled appearance. He was wearing a simple t-shirt and jeans with his familiar black combat boots. His black hair, usually down in a mess around his shoulders, was surprisingly tied back. That signaled he’d recently had a meeting with his _wonderful_ mother. His dark brown—almost black really—eyes stared at Kagome in the most pitiful way, she briefly considered petting his head like he was a dog.

“I need your help,” he begged her, ignoring her comment about the door. She rose a brow and straightened her shirt before gesturing to the stool beside her in the most regal manner she possibly could.

“I am willing to hear your request,” she stated formally, grinning as a laugh left his lips. _Mission accomplished. Get the stressed-out friend to relax some._ Inuyasha slid onto the stool beside her and took a deep breath.

“So, my half-brother is movin' back home and my mom wants to throw this party for him. Ya know, honor the bastard for being… I dunno rich? I stopped asking questions beyond party.”

“Asshole brother. Party. Rich people. Continue.”

“So I have to go. But it’s like a black-tie event or something fuckin' dumb like that. Which means I have to dress up and… Ugh, schmooze.”

“Have to look pretty and speak to people.” Kagome rose a brow. “I am failing to see issues.”

“I need someone to come with and keep me sane.”

“Okay, so you need me to ask Kikyou for you?”

“No, she can’t come because she’s working that night.”

Realization for what Inuyasha wanted of her flashed through Kagome’s mind and she gave him a disbelieving look. “Oh no. No, no, no. Your mother _hates_ me! And I don’t want to rub elbows with a bunch of self-entitled assholes!” Inuyasha grasped her hands in his and put on his best puppy-dog look.

“Kagome, _please_. I have no one else to ask and if I show up without someone beside me, I will look like the biggest fucking loser. Do not make me look like a loser in front of my perfect asshole of a brother.” _Why does he know how to tug at my heartstrings?_

“Inuyasha, I don’t even have anything to wear to such a thing,” she attempted, averting her eyes from his.

“Sure you do! You have that one black dress!” Her eyes snapped back to his in disbelief.

“You mean the black dress I used to wear when we’d go _clubbing_? Inuyasha! You don’t wear a clubbing dress to a black-tie event!”

“I’ll give you the money to buy a new dress! Or Kikyou can loan you one!”

“This is ridiculous Inuyasha…”

“There’s an open bar?”

“…I hate you,” Kagome sighed out, slouching in defeat.

“Thank you so much! You’re the best!” He gave her a hug, which made her wrinkle her nose and swat him away.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m the best. Never has there ever been a more faithful friend to you than yours truly. I guess I can look on the bright side.” She provided him a slight smirk. His eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Now, you owe me. _And_ I finally get to meet this asshole brother of yours that you’ve been complaining about since we first met.”

“I wouldn’t look forward to the experience. He’s a cold-hearted bastard. He prefers watching people suffer to watching a movie. Anything that isn’t perfection is deemed as worthless in his eyes.”

“Sounds like a charmer. Maybe I ran into him once or twice in Chicago,” Kagome joked. “Oh, maybe he swept me off my feet and made me feel like a princess _just for that one night_.” She leaned against him as she spoke dramatically, the back of one hand over her forehead while the other clutched at her heart. Inuyasha laughed and shoved her off.

“If you ran into him, more than likely he’d have pissed you off so bad that you would’ve planted a glitter bomb in his car’s A/C.” Kagome smirked at that. That was such a wonderful prank the two of them had pulled on their high school history teacher. Kagome’s knowledge of arts and crafts combined with Inuyasha’s knowledge of cars made for quite the deadly combo.

“Alright, so when is this thing anyway?”

“Saturday night. I’ll pick you up at six, we’ll get there by seven. Should only have to suffer for about an hour or so before we can sneak out and hit a bar.” Kagome nodded and they shook on it.

“Alright, now come help me figure out how to make my resume sound pretty. Gotta put your blue-blood to good use _somehow_. I want a nice and fancy office job…”

~ ~ ~

Kagome nervously smoothed her hand across Kikyou’s black formal dress. It was a gorgeous backless number with fabric that circled the back of her neck and reached the floor. There was a golden trim around the bust area that was enough to reflect the light and catch the eye. When Kikyou had gone through her closet to find a dress for her sister, she’d determined that this dress was practically made for Kagome. The dark material was a gorgeous comparison against her pale skin, and it even made her back tattoo seem to pop.

Inuyasha clung to her arm nervously as he twitched beside her. He was wearing a simple black suit, no tie. His hair was tugged back into a tie and he looked ready to turn around to leave. Kagome squeezed his arm reassuringly and cast him a bright smile.

She leaned over to whisper in his ear, “Fifty bucks says at least one of these assholes has a packet of Viagra in his pocket.” Inuyasha choked back on his laughter, relaxing slightly.

“I’m not taking that bet,” he replied softly, causing her to giggle. Her blue eyes lit up when she spotted the bar and she nodded toward it.

“Let’s get a quick drink to gnaw away the nerves. Then we can pretend we give a shit about whatever these blowhards are going on about.” Just as Inuyasha nodded in agreement, his mother appeared before them. _Well, shit._

“Inuyasha, my darling boy,” Izayoi said brightly, a gorgeous smile on her face. Which left immediately the moment she looked to Kagome. “Ah, you brought your… Friend. Where is the lovely Kikyou?” Kagome clenched her jaw in order to keep her mouth shut. _Don’t make a scene, don’t make a scene. You are here for support, that’s all._

“Kikyou had to work tonight, so I asked Kagome to accompany me instead,” Inuyasha said, his hand tightening on Kagome’s arm in his own attempt to reassure her.

“Wonderful.” Izayoi’s flat voice made it clear she thought it was anything but. “Well, come with me darling, I have some people to introduce you to. Kagome, be a dear and go get us some drinks.” With a strong grip, Inuyasha was pulled away from Kagome and Kagome was dismissed entirely. Her best friend looked back at her with a helpless expression, apology in his eyes, and Kagome offered him a small smile and a shrug in response.

 _Don’t know why I expected this to go any different,_ Kagome thought to herself as she sighed and made her way to the bar. Alone. She knew Izayoi hated her. The woman had made that _perfectly_ clear in the past. It was an odd sense, being hated because his mother thought she was worthless trash while the woman doted on Kikyou because she was everything a woman should strive to be.

With a simple order of a martini, Kagome gave a lonely sigh and brushed her fingers against her neck once more. She avoided the scene here because she didn’t want to risk running into anyone she knew. And wasn’t the ache supposed to go away with time? She missed Chicago. She missed the bustling streets and the loud voices. She missed her friends. Hell, she even missed that one homeless drunk who would greet her every night she came home and ask for her hand in marriage. She missed the scene.

She took a sip of the martini, fighting against the feeling of depression as she turned her gaze around the room. The upper-class were laughing and chatting happily, a couple of people were dancing to the classical music playing, and it looked like everyone was having a great time. Even Inuyasha seemed to have relaxed some and was laughing at whatever the guy he was talking to said. Kagome brushed her fingers against her neck again and took another sip of her drink. _Maybe I should just leave. Not like anyone would notice._ She definitely did not fit in here, no matter how pretty Kikyou dressed her up to be. She didn’t belong and she clearly wasn’t welcome, if Izayoi was anything to go by.

“I don’t believe I have ever met you before, and I know just about everyone in this room,” a deep voice called beside her, causing Kagome to turn and blink at the tall man leaning against the bar beside her, a glass of whiskey in his hand. He had short black hair that teased his ears and piercing honey-colored eyes that looked almost amber in the right lighting. He towered above her and seemed to demand an answer without speaking. Every single aspect of this man brought all of Kagome’s brat instincts to life, especially the way his eyes seemed to devour her figure.

“Oh, that’s because I’m a nobody, just here to support my best friend and save him from his asshole brother,” she replied cheerily, trying to force down her need to poke and prod at this man until he broke. There _was_ a reason her nickname in the scene was always ‘Kitten.’ She was always described as the type of brat who was like a kitten, nudging a glass of water slowly towards the edge of the table, trying to see how far she’d get until it fell off the side or she was stopped.

The man raised a single brow at her. “And who would this best friend be to leave you all alone?” She gestured towards Inuyasha with her glass before taking another sip of her martini. He followed her gesture with his eyes, amusement flashing in those hazel orbs. “I see, and why does he need saving from this ‘asshole brother,’ as you put it?”

“Oh, apparently his brother is the second coming of Satan, demon hiding in human flesh, all that fun stuff. Frankly, I hope I never have to meet the bastard. I will consider tonight a win if I can skate through only having to put up with Inuyasha’s bitch of a mother.”

“I see.” He took a swallow of his whiskey and gestured to her. “So if you’re here for moral support, why are you not at his side? Why standing here alone at a bar?” She snorted.

“As the darling Izayoi likes to put it, I am pathetic low-born trash who should not be consorting with her precious son in any such manner.” She ran her hand over the bar with a grin. “My place is here, among the rest of my class.”

“Interesting. So if only the low-born trash hang out at the bar, what does that make me?” She pressed her lips together as she considered him. He was clearly meant to be here, considering his words and his attire. That suit screamed money. And she knew an expensive watch when she saw one. She didn’t know why the guy wanted to converse with her over one of the many other beautiful women at the party, and that made her suspicious. Perhaps it was a dare? No… This was not the type of man to do something simply because another person dared him to. Maybe he found himself bored and thought she would make for adequate amusement? Yes, that seemed the most likely scenario.

“A bored rich guy,” she finally settled upon, draining the rest of her martini.

“I prefer the term _intrigued_ ,” he countered, also draining his glass. She gave him a smirk.

“I prefer to call a spade, a spade. You’re bored. I’m different. Amusement achieved.”

“I can promise you, it takes a lot more than an interesting conversation to satisfy my amusement,” he rumbled, leaning close to her. There was something about the way he said it that caused her stomach to twist and heat to rush through her. She barely stopped herself from curling her toes. Her breath caught in her throat as she turned her gaze away from those eyes, trying to find her backbone which had seemed to decide to take a vacation.

“And I can promise you, it takes a lot more than ‘fuck me’ eyes and suggestive comments to make me spread my legs.” _Backbone achieved. Go for the throat!_ She patted his shoulder and turned away. “Sorry handsome, but you’ll have to dirty your dick elsewhere tonight. I’m way too much for someone like _you_ to handle.” Satisfied with her response, she walked away and headed for the door. She pulled her phone out of her clutch to text Inuyasha informing him of her early departure, determined to spend the rest of her evening in a bar nursing something strong.

Maybe she should get back into the scene if one conversation with some rich guy brought out every subby instinct she had.

~ ~ ~

Sesshoumaru watched the woman walk out of the room, his eyes staring at the intricate tattoo on her back. It showed a large dog demon grasping a bow in its fangs, red eyes gleaming. If he recalled correctly, the tattoo ended with one of the demon’s claws gripping into her left ass. Not that her dress allowed him that much of a view, but he did pride himself on his memory. When he’d first spied her at the bar, he’d been certain his eyes were deceiving him. It was four years ago, after all. But that tattoo was one that had been seared into his brain.

And when they talked, he didn’t miss the way her eyes dilated and her breath caught. He didn’t miss the way her fingers stroked down her neck, as if she was unconsciously reminding herself of a feeling.

The last time he’d seen her, she was facing away from the crowd completely nude. The person part of the scene was doing a flogging demonstration and she’d been his assistant for the night. Sesshoumaru remembered watching her come apart with each flick of the flogger, her lips curved in a teasing smirk. Every so often, the trainer would walk up to her and they’d share a few whispered words, her bright blue eyes lighting up with mischief every time. The trainer would grip her black locks and tug her head back to nip at her jugular before continuing the demonstration.

And now that mischievous little sub had somehow found herself in Japan at his welcome home party with his half-brother. It almost felt like the Kami were toying with him, teasing him with this woman. Well, if the Kami wanted to dangle such an appetizing meal in front of him, who was he to not accept such a gracious gift?

~ ~ ~

“I’m sorry for the way my mom treated you,” Inuyasha apologized as the pair sat in the bar, a beer in front of him and a shot of tequila in front of her. Three empty shot glasses were pushed to the side as Kagome gave a snort.

“She’s a bitch and she hates me. Don’t know what we expected,” she replied, tossing the shot back and giving a sigh. “It’s fine, I made my escape and you never had to see your brother. Victory!”

“No, I didn’t have to see him because you distracted him. I ask too much of you, I swear. Not a clue how you managed to talk to him without throwing your drink at his face.” Kagome blinked at her best friend.

“Wait. You mean… The dude at the bar…” Inuyasha frowned.

“Yeah, that was Sesshoumaru. Did you not realize?” Her jaw hit the bar as she immediately ran through every single insulting thing she said to him and about him. _Fuck no wonder he looked so amused!_ She had literally insulted him to his face without realizing it!

“Oh fuck. I’m an idiot.” Inuyasha gave her a confused look. Kagome gave a small giggle. “I may have insinuated to your brother that he wanted to fuck me and that he wasn’t good enough.” Now it was Inuyasha’s turn to have his jaw drop. “I didn’t know it was him!” She snickered at the memory. “Oh man. Well, I guess now I have two of your family members who hate me.”

“I can’t take you anywhere,” Inuyasha groaned, rubbing his face. “You ready to go or are you trying to get plastered?” Kagome spread her arms to him.

“I’m drunk enough as is. Please take me home chauffeur.” He chuckled and helped hoist her up, steadying her as she tilted on her heels. He tossed some money on the bar for both their drinks and helped her out as she stumbled along.

“Inuyasha,” a deep voice called to them as they exited the bar. Both glanced over to see none other than Sesshoumaru standing there with crossed arms as he considered the pair.

Kagome snickered slightly and whispered to Inuyasha, “You’re right, he does look like a pompous asshole with too much money and not enough time to pull the stick from his ass.” Inuyasha flushed a bright red as Sesshoumaru raised a brow.

“Your mother sent me to go fetch you. She claims you were not meant to leave early and desires you back. Something about her honor,” he informed Inuyasha, who looked down at the drunken Kagome. “No, I do not think she would be welcome back in this… State.”

“Have you never been drunk before?” Kagome asked snidely. She glanced over at Inuyasha and gave him a bright smile. “I’ll be fine. Go appease your overbearing mother and make friends. I’m not so drunk that I can’t find my way home.”

“I’ll call you a cab,” he immediately offered, teeth tugging at his lip. She waved a hand at him.

“Don’t bother. Home isn’t far and cabs are expensive.”

“Kagome… You can barely walk in those shoes right now.”

“Then I’ll call my own cab. It’s not a big deal Inuyasha. I’ve got cash on me. I’m not the brat you knew in high school who couldn’t manage to make it three feet without hurting herself. Trust me, I’ve made my way home numerous times on my own while under the influence. In Chicago.”

“How about an alternative solution?” Sesshoumaru offered, getting both sets of eyes to look at him. “I can take her home. I already informed your mother that I was leaving for the night, due to jet lag. She won’t be expecting me back. In return, you can owe me a favor.”

“Like I would trust you to get Kagome back home safe?” Inuyasha growled.

“It’s a free ride.”

“Whatever, fine,” Kagome cut in. “Your brother can take me home. Then the only person inconvenienced is him. I don’t have to spend money, you don’t have to spend money, and he gets to suffer through my presence. It’s a win-win.” Inuyasha glowered at his brother before finally relenting, stepping away from Kagome and shoving his hands in his pockets.

“If anything happens to her, I’ll kick your ass,” he threatened. Sesshoumaru didn’t bother responding. “Text me when you get home.” This was directed toward Kagome. She gave him a nod and a cheerful—drunken—smile. _Maybe I shouldn’t have indulged in that third shot,_ she considered as Sesshoumaru gestured to a black car parked off to the side of the road.

Kagome was proud of herself. She managed two steps before stumbling, the sidewalk rapidly approaching her face when both Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru caught her.

“How much did you drink before I got here woman?” Inuyasha questioned, looking a bit concerned. Kagome waved her hands at him and groaned.

“I’m not _that_ drunk. Just… Not sober enough for heels,” Kagome admitted, even as her head spun.

“Hn.” That was from Sesshoumaru. She ignored him and used Inuyasha as a perch to lift her feet one at a time to slip her heels off. Then she gave him a firm kiss on the cheek before pulling out of both of the brothers’ arms to make her way over to the car. She only wavered once but managed to catch her balance before thumping against the car door. She cleared her throat and attempted to look like less of a drunken fool by tilting her chin up and opening the door to slide—read fall—into the car. _Whatever. I got in it by myself and that’s what counts._ Sesshoumaru slipped into the driver’s seat and started the car, pulling away from the curb.

“I hope you know where you’re going,” Kagome commented as she gazed out the window.

“My half-brother gave me adequate directions. It is the Higurashi shrine, is it not?” he replied, not sparing her a glance.

“Yep.” She took a deep breath. “And… Sorry for my comments, back at the party. I didn’t realize _you_ were the half-brother.”

“I gathered this much.” His eyes flashed over to her. “Though apologizing means you wouldn’t have spoken so… Honestly… Had you known my identity.” She laughed lightly.

“No, I probably would’ve conducted myself a little more respectfully.” She sighed. “Look, Inuyasha is my best friend. His mother hates me and wishes I would’ve stayed in Chicago, far from her son. I’d rather not have his brother hate me too, even if you guys don’t get along.”

“You lived in Chicago.” It wasn’t phrased like a question, but Kagome answered nonetheless.

“Yeah, I lived there until three years ago. I had to move back home to help Kikyou take care of the shrine. After our mother passed and our little brother went off to college, it’s been hard for her to manage the shrine on her own while continuing to work as a doctor.”

“Why leave Japan in the first place?”

“Because it was easier,” she admitted. “Here, I’m compared to Kikyou all the time. So when I got a job offer that required me to move to Chicago, I took it.” She glanced over to him, curiosity on her face. “Why did you move to Chicago? Inuyasha told me that’s where you were living before coming back.” His hands tightened on the steering wheel and he took a breath.

“It was also easier.” He didn’t elaborate and she didn’t push it. But she did give a small chuckle.

“Weird to think we were living in the same city. As big as Chicago is, it’s almost hard to believe we never ran into each other. But I guess we were leading very different lives.”

“Do you miss it?”

“Every day.” Kagome couldn’t help the air of sadness from entering her voice. She missed her little apartment. She missed the small cafe where she would grab a bagel and tea every morning before work. She missed the sounds and smells and the life that Chicago had. The way it seemed to bring together people from all walks of life. She missed her job. And… Her fingers brushed against her neck and she closed her eyes. She missed who she was.

“Would you go back?” She glanced over at his question, thinking on it.

“If I could? Yeah. Probably. What about you?”

He was silent for so long that Kagome assumed he wasn’t going to answer. She resigned herself to this when his voice spoke softly and openly, causing a small smile to appear on her face. “In a heartbeat.” And for just a brief moment, she suddenly didn’t feel so lonely anymore. There was at least one other person, who understood and shared her feelings for the city far away.

~ ~ ~

They traveled the remainder of the way to Kagome’s home in silence, both of them seemingly lost in old memories of the city they both chose to leave behind. When they reached the shrine, Sesshoumaru grasped Kagome’s arm, stopping her from leaving the car. She glanced over at him in confusion.

“Does my half-brother know?” he asked her, his face completely blank. She blinked up at him.

“Know what? That I miss Chicago? I guess.”

“No, does he know about what lifestyle you prefer?” Her heart jumped into her throat as her eyes widened. _He cannot mean what I think he does._

“W-what are you talking about?” she stuttered, trying to control her racing heart.

“Four years ago, you were part of a flogging demonstration at the BDSM club called Sinful Melodies. It’s a rather prestigious club and the membership fee is rather large.”

“H-how would you know _anything_ about that?” she demanded, jerking her arm away from him. He rose a brow at her.

“I was a member of the club, of course. Your tattoo is quite memorable.” Kagome’s mind instantly jumped back to four years in the past.

_I was nearly squirming in my seat with excitement, earning a chuckle from Garret, my partner for the night. The large and high-class club loomed before us._

“ _I can’t believe I actually get to go inside Sinful Melodies,” I whispered, clutching onto his arm. He grinned down at me and adjusted his toy bag onto his shoulder._

“ _We’re only here for a demo Kagome. You don’t actually get to play with their toys. Or speak to their Dominants. Or chat up their subs. You just have to be your adorable little self and do_ try _not to backtalk too much,” he told me, pinching my hip. I scoffed and tossed my hair back._

“ _Me? Backtalk? I’m a perfect angel.” He raised a brow. I offered a cheeky smile. “When I feel like it.”_

“ _Well, luckily for you, part of the demo is how to handle brats during a public scene. This is why you got the honor of accompanying me. I’m glad Hojo decided to agree. He’s usually more possessive over you.”_

_I began counting off the rules of the night on my fingers, mostly to remind myself. I trusted Garret enough to beat on me, I was certain he wouldn’t take advantage of the situation. “No intercourse, subspace only, no touching my nether regions, no lasting bruises, and no allowing anyone else to touch. Am I forgetting anything?” Garret pulled a black mask out of his toy bag and presented it to me. I groaned. “Right… No showing my face. Stupid rules.”_

“I was wearing a mask…” Kagome muttered. “It could’ve been anyone.” Sesshoumaru chuckled.

“Like I said, the tattoo is memorable.” Kagome bit her lip, giving him that. She _was_ naked during that scene and she _was_ currently wearing a backless dress. She didn’t think her tattoo would be the thing to get her recognized after all these years. “So? Does he know?”

“No… No one here knows. And please, don’t tell anyone. They wouldn’t understand.” Her eyes searched his pleadingly. He snorted.

“I promise, I have no desire to out myself just for the sake of outing you.” She sighed in relief before her eyes suddenly lit up. A small smirk appeared on her lips.

“So? Were you there as a Top or as a bottom?” she asked teasingly. He merely blinked as he looked down at her. She wasn’t one to stop poking though. The brat part of her was demanding to see just how far she could push him before he retaliated. Where was Sesshoumaru’s breaking point? “Oh, I could definitely see you as a bottom. Kneeling beside some gorgeous Domme. Pouring her drinks. Working as a footrest.”

She didn’t even see him move, but suddenly his hand was around her neck and his thumb was stroking down the side of her neck. “Stop talking.” Her eyes nearly rolled into the back of her head at the tone of his voice. That delicious ‘no nonsense’ voice. Her mouth slammed shut. For about a second.

“Tsk, tsk Sesshoumaru. You haven’t even asked me for my consent, my safeword, if I’m okay with neck play, nothing. If this is the breed of Tops that Sinful Melodies produces, then maybe I was better off at all my public clubs.” He leaned close to her face and gave her a simple smirk.

“If you did not consent, you could easily remove yourself from my hand. I think we both know the generic safeword that can be used at any and all times. And you have _constantly_ been stroking your neck all night long, running your fingers down the area I’d like to run my teeth down.” She shuddered at the thought, squirming in her seat. Her tongue swiped across her bottom lip. “But you’re right.” Her eyes snapped open and she stared at him as he released her neck and pulled away, leaving her breathless and confused. “I don’t think you can give clear consent in your current condition.”

“My current… It’s a forty-five-minute drive from that bar to here! I promise, I am sober enough to clearly consent to having you rip my clothes off and pound me until I’m bowlegged,” she shouted, flushing slightly at her words. He gave her an amused look.

“Oh? And here I was under the assumption that it took more than ‘fuck me’ eyes and suggestive comments for you to spread your legs.” Her mouth flapped open at the comment. “But it is quite nice to know that you no longer consider yourself too much for someone such as myself to handle. I’ll have to keep that in mind. Have a wonderful evening Miss Higurashi.” Her eyes narrowed.

“Inuyasha owes me fifty bucks,” she commented as she swung the car door open. She shot him a smirk as she stepped from the car. “He’ll be shocked to know that it’s his brother who needs help getting it up.” He snorted at her words, seemingly unphased. She bristled, wanting to get under his skin. “But hey, you probably saved us both from disappointment. There’s only a certain type of man who can tame me. He needs _experience_.” With that, she shut the door and began the long trek up the steps towards the shrine, feeling his eyes on her as she moved.

She was certain Sesshoumaru had _more_ than enough experience to tame her. Sinful Melodies had earned its reputation in the BDSM world. Hell, the only reason Garret had done the demo there in the first place was because he used to be a member there. But… Dammit, that man had irked her! First, he makes her panic concerning her preferred lifestyle choice in a partner, then he gets her all hot and bothered, and _then_ he just dismisses her like she isn’t worth his time!

She scowled, then gave a small smile as she stroked her neck again. It felt nice, for a moment there. It was a nice reminder of what she had. She missed that feeling. Even if she never got it again, it was nice to get the reminder.

Once she reached the top of the steps, she glanced down to the street. She wasn’t surprised to see he was already gone.

~ ~ ~

“You’re _where_ now?!” Kagome shouted, her phone pressed against her ear. Sango gave a snicker on the other end.

“I told you, we’re outside your shrine. At least… We think it’s your shrine.” Her friend gave a slight hum. “Huge steps leading up a hill. Bunch of symbols I can’t read because I’m not fluent in Japanese. Google maps definitely stated that this was the place though.”

“I got _that_ part! But how? Why?” Kagome rushed around her room, trying to get dressed as quickly as possible. She could hear Kikyou fussing around in the kitchen.

“It’s your anniversary, duh. We couldn’t make it the past two years because of conflicting schedules, but we all managed to get this year cleared up so we came to surprise you!” Kagome rushed out of her room and flew past a confused Kikyou to throw open her front door, running out without shoes on. And there, finishing the long climb up the steps, was Sango with a phone pressed to her ear. The woman flashed a gorgeous smile and Kagome nearly dropped her phone. She was moving before she realized it and then suddenly she was crashing into Sango, clutching her friend tightly.

“Happy anniversary Kitten,” a deep voice stated from behind Sango and Kagome looked up to see Garret and Hojo grinning down at her. She barely contained her squeal of joy as she launched herself into the two men, tears filling her eyes.

“I don’t understand,” she mumbled.

“What’s not to understand?” Sango demanded. “Our favorite kitten left us for Japan, barely calls or texts, and we missed her. So we figured if we couldn’t get her to come to us, we were coming to her.” She pulled away from Garret and Hojo to wipe her tears away, her heart ready to burst.

“Kagome?” she heard Kikyou call from the front door. She turned to see her sister give her a slight frown. “Who is this?”

“Oh!” Kagome quickly straightened herself up and gestured to her three friends as she led them towards the house. “Kikyou, this is Sango, Garret, and Hojo. They’re friends of mine from Chicago. They came to surprise me for a visit.” She turned to her friends. “This is my elder sister Kikyou.”

“Right! The doctor! Pleasure to meet you,” Sango said brightly in English. She extended her hand, which Kikyou glanced at with a blink. Sango almost immediately flushed and quickly jerked her hand back, giving an awkward bow instead.

“We weren’t expecting company. Do you require a place to sleep or…?” Kikyou asked cautiously, giving her sister a confused look.

“No, no,” Hojo assured her. “We have hotel rooms all plotted out. We were just hoping to be able to steal Kagome away for the night, if that is alright with you.” He gave a slight bow.

“Well, _I_ certainly don’t have a problem with it. However, I believe Inuyasha was hoping to go out tonight with her while I have work.” Kagome paled at the thought of her best friend from high school and her best friends from Chicago drinking and talking in a room together.

She could perfectly picture Inuyasha’s appalled face as Hojo and Garret explained how to use a crop the proper way. As Sango described the best method for _perfect_ cock-and-ball torture.

“We don’t have any issue in meeting one of Kagome’s friends from here,” Garret expressed, giving an easy smile. He turned to Kagome. “Oh, Kagura wanted us to make sure you know her love was sent. She wanted to come too, but you know how busy the club gets this time of year.” _Not all of us are still out, loud, and proud Garret!_

“Love definitely received,” Kagome assured him, trying to think of ways to keep her two lives separate. Sango suddenly lowered her lips beside Kagome’s ear, speaking softly.

“We won’t discuss anything you don’t wish us to in front of those we don’t know.” Kagome released a small sigh as she was reminded of how discreet those in the scene could be. Oh, she had missed this.

~ ~ ~

“So naturally, Kagome got her hands on some glitter glue and made a decoration out of tampons for the prick,” Inuyasha finished, earning a round of laughter from everyone.

“Kagome here can be quite deadly with glitter glue,” Sango agreed, smirking at her friend. Kagome suddenly found her glass interesting as she recalled the time she had _decorated_ one of Garret’s favorite floggers in retaliation for something or another. She didn’t quite remember the slight Garret had made upon her, but she definitely remembered—in vivid detail—the punishment he enacted for it.

“So Hojo, you said you and Kagome used to date before?” Inuyasha asked, almost immediately going into ‘big brother’ mode. Kagome wanted to facepalm. She and Hojo did _not_ use to date. She and Hojo were D/s partners for a time before agreeing to part ways, as they both wanted different things moving forward. The only Dominant she _actually_ dated was Kouga and that did not end well for either party.

“In a manner of speaking, yes,” Hojo replied simply. “However, Kagome and I agreed to part on good terms as we both agreed that our relationship was not as beneficial for the other.” He gave a lopsided grin. “I suppose the best way to put it was simply that I am too laid back to tame such a beast.” Kagome nearly choked on her drink. Inuyasha blinked, seemingly a bit confused, but shrugged it off. He turned his attention towards Garret.

“And you? You date Kagome?”

Garret snickered. “Me? Oh no. The most Kagome and I ever did together was cause havoc and teach some people a thing or two.” He winked Kagome’s way and she blushed at the reminder of the many times Garret had asked for her to partner with him in his demos. Inuyasha nodded at this as if he understood, which he most certainly did not. Sango huffed in annoyance.

“What? Not gonna double-check with me?” she asked, raising a brow at him. Kagome turned bright red. Inuyasha choked on his drink and blinked at the woman. “But alas, no. Kagome never did give in to my many invitations to be mine.” No, of course not. Instead, the Switch took it upon herself to teach Kagome exactly how good Shibari felt.

“I think Kagura went out with Kagome once as a date,” Hojo mused, thinking back. Inuyasha looked just as appalled as Kagome had imagined he would become.

“Okay, that’s enough talk about my love life!” Kagome interjected, smacking her hand down on the table. “Garret! Didn’t you say you had a friend who wanted to stop by?”

“Oh sure! He’s an old friend of mine from years ago. Let me give him a quick call and invite him out.” Garret slipped away from the table and made his way out of the restaurant. Inuyasha blinked at Kagome.

“You dated chicks back in Chicago?” he asked her.

“Love knows no gender?” she attempted with a shaky smile, taking a sip of her beer to distract herself. Inuyasha shook his head.

“It’s weird, thinking about you living your life there. I guess I didn’t realize you had an actual life. I didn’t think there were parts of you that even I don’t know about.” _You have no idea._

“That’s the glorious thing about being apart from where you grow up,” Sango stated. “You learn things about yourself that you otherwise would never have realized. Life is about experiences and trying new things. Figure out what makes you click in the right way. Unfortunately, for some, that thing happens to be something that most people would shame or look down upon. Something that would label them as abnormal or perverts. No one can help the way they’re wired or what they desire in a partner.” She popped a piece of steak between her lips and chewed slowly as she considered Inuyasha. “For instance, what if Kagome had been a stripper in Chicago? Would you shame her for it?”

Inuyasha jerked and stared wildly at Kagome as if he needed reassurance that she was _not_ a stripper in Chicago. “W-why would she need to do that?! If she ever needed money, I would’ve helped her out without a second thought!”

“Ah, but some people don’t strip simply because they need the money,” Sango replied. “For some, stripping is that click. They enjoy dancing, they enjoy their bodies, and they enjoy making people desire them. What if it was like that for Kagome?”

“W-well… I would never shame her for it. I wouldn’t _like_ it. But I wouldn’t shame her for it,” he settled on, still shooting Kagome with slightly panicked looks.

Sango gave him a smile and nodded. “That’s good to hear. We do worry for her.”

“I was not a stripper in Chicago,” Kagome promised Inuyasha, laughing lightly at his relieved sigh.

“Not to say you never _danced_ in Chicago,” Hojo mused. “You just didn’t get singles thrown at you by strangers.”

“One time,” Kagome sighed. “A girl performs some pole dancing for her friends one time and she never lives it down.”

“I don’t know about you Hojo, but I would _love_ a repeat performance.” Sango waggled her eyebrows. Hojo nodded and the pair clinked their glasses together.

“Alright, we’re right over here,” Garret’s voice returned. “Guys, this is my friend from way back when. He just recently moved back to Japan. This is Sango, Hojo, Kagome, and Inuyasha. And this is Sesshoumaru.” Kagome stared like a deer in headlights. Sesshoumaru stared back. Inuyasha dropped his chopsticks while Sango and Hojo greeted him politely.

_Sesshoumaru was a member of Sinful Melodies. Garret used to be a member there. Garret often talked about his old friends from there._

“Pleasure to make your acquaintance Sango and Hojo.” Sesshoumaru gave a slight bow.

“You’ve gotta be fuckin’ kidding me,” Inuyasha grumbled. “Can I never escape you asshole?”

“I do not believe it’s my fault that my friend happens to be friends with one of yours,” Sesshoumaru replied calmly. Inuyasha practically growled at his older brother before storming out. Kagome quickly got up to follow him, tossing her friends apologetic looks.

“Inuyasha wait!” she called. He scowled at her and stuck a cigarette between his lips, lighting up. She snatched it from him and threw it on the ground, pinning him with a glare. “I thought you quit!”

“Yeah, and I thought I would only have to put up with his presence once per week. What the fuck Kagome?”

“What? Did you think I _knew_ Garret’s friend would be your half-brother? I had no idea!”

“How could you not have known? And how can anyone be friends with that asshole?”

“I guess they ran in the same circles years ago! I’m still confused as to how this is exactly my fault.” Inuyasha tossed his hands in the air.

“They’re your friends! Just who the hell are they Kagome? They talk like they know you better than I do! They act like they hold the knowledge to the universe! They’re friends with assholes like him!” Kagome jerked back as if he’d struck her.

“For the five years that I lived in Chicago,” she said carefully. “They were my closest friends. Yes, they know me quite well. And yes, they probably know more about me than you do. That’s what happens when someone moves out on their own for five years Inuyasha. They _grow up_. I’m not some teenage girl pulling fire alarms to get out of class anymore. I’m a twenty-seven-year-old woman who had a _life_ there. Those three people in that building? They lived that life with me. They were the people who congratulated me on every achievement I made. They were the ones who picked me up whenever I fell down. They put me back together after every painful heartbreak. They were the ones who helped me discover who I am.”

“And who are you Kagome? Because sometimes it’s like I don’t even know you anymore. If your life was so fucking perfect there, maybe you should’ve just stayed in Chicago.” With that, he stormed off, leaving Kagome stunned. She stared at his retreating back until she couldn’t see him anymore, feeling as if her heart was breaking.

She and Inuyasha fought before, sure. But he’d _never_ stormed off like that. They _always_ patched things up, talked things out, before parting ways. Suddenly, she felt arms wrapping around her and she turned into Sango’s welcoming arms before allowing herself to cry just a bit.

“It’s not the end Kitten,” Sango told her gently, rubbing her back. “It’s not okay, so it’s not the end. You guys will patch things up. He just needs time to process everything.”

“I miss home,” Kagome admitted. “I have never felt so out of place than I have the past three years here.”

“You came back for a reason Kitten. Remember that reason. And whenever you feel out of place, just remember the first time you stumbled into our little club and how out of place you felt then. That ended up working out and being good, right? So if something good can come from feeling out of place then, something good can come from it now.” Sango leaned back and tipped Kagome’s head up to look her in the eyes, giving her a reassuring smile. “And never forget who you are. You’re a gorgeous and strong woman. A fierce one too. If someone can’t see or accept that, then that’s their loss. Give Inuyasha time. His very image of you was just shaken. He needs time to readjust and accept the new you that you’ve apparently been hiding from him for the past three years.” She wiped away Kagome’s tears with the pads of her thumbs before gesturing to the restaurant. “Come on, let’s finish our meal. Then we can go dancing or drinking or whatever else you want to do.” Kagome nodded and allowed Sango to lead her back inside.

Hojo and Garret cast her concerned glances as she came back in and she gave them both a smile to let them know that she was alright. She sat down and took a breath before clearing her throat.

“So, you and Sesshoumaru are friends? I take it you met at Sinful Melodies,” Kagome asked, taking a swallow of her beer. Garret gave her a thankful smile and nodded.

“Yep, he and I ended up there around the same time,” Garret confirmed.

“Only this flake ditched after a couple of years,” Sesshoumaru commented with a slight smirk. Garret waved a hand at that.

“I told you, for someone whose income comes primarily from beating on subs in front of an audience, the membership fee was a bit much. Besides, if I hadn’t left Sinful Melodies then I never would’ve ended up at Dragon’s Mantle. Which meant I never would’ve met the darling Kagome here.” Garret shot the woman in question a wink. “And I definitely prefer that outcome.” Kagome tossed a napkin at him.

“Keep her away from your toy bags though,” Hojo mentioned casually. “She likes to use toys as art projects.”

“Only when you’re a bunch of mean Doms who gang up on poor, innocent submissives such as myself!” Kagome interjected, smiling as the knot of loneliness she’d been feeling slowly unraveled.

“Innocent? Somehow I highly doubt those words,” Sesshoumaru stated, his eyes practically peeling back all of Kagome’s layers. Sango glanced between the two of them and gave a slight smirk before stretching.

“So Kagome, know of any decent clubs in the area?” she asked. Kagome flushed.

“Uh no, actually. I haven’t actually been part of the scene since moving back here.” She shrugged slightly. “Never wanted to risk anyone I know finding out.”

“Shame, I was hoping for a chance to tie you up and make you look all pretty.” She stroked Kagome’s chin teasingly and Kagome could already feel the sensation of the rope wrapping around her skin.

“If tying up and toying with the brat is the only end goal for the night, I do know of a private dungeon we can use,” Sesshoumaru stated. “If you’d like.”

“Sure, sounds like fun,” Hojo agreed. Garret nodded in confirmation.

“Definitely. I think our little kitten needs to loosen up some,” Sango stated, giving Kagome a teasing grin. The other three turned their attention to Kagome, awaiting her response. She bit her lip as she considered it. It had been a long time since she’d played and she did miss it. Plus, Sesshoumaru said it was a private dungeon, which meant it was highly unlikely that anyone would recognize her there.

“Alright, let’s do it.”

~ ~ ~

The group entered the dungeon slowly with Sesshoumaru leading the way, his hands in his pockets as he moved. The bouncer barely gave them a second glance before waving them in, bowing slightly to Sesshoumaru as he passed.

“So, how is it that you’ve been back in Japan for barely a week and already have access to a private dungeon?” Kagome asked, glancing around at all of the mouth-watering sets. Sesshoumaru cast her an amused look.

“I’ve been back in Japan for a month now, for starters. Secondly, before moving back I made sure to find a decent enough dungeon where I would be free to practice whenever I feel the urge. Not all of us are content with simply remembering the fun times.”

“I guess you’re right.” Kagome nodded, a look of pure innocence on her face. “Some of us do practice self-control. It’s completely understandable that someone like you would fail to control their baser urges.” He flashed her a grin.

“Perhaps Sango would agree to a ball gag.”

“And remove my gift to the world?” Kagome mock gasped, pretending to be insulted. “I think not!” She turned to get her friend’s opinion on the topic only to find that her three friends had split off to different parts of the dungeon, chatting up the people who were there. She frowned in confusion.

“They look rather busy little one,” Sesshoumaru stated, running his fingers through Kagome’s hair in a way that made her close her eyes and relax into his touch. His free hand came around to wrap lightly around her neck, thumb slowly rubbing down her jugular. “Do you still wish to play? I do believe you are able to _properly_ consent this time.”

Kagome gave a small whimper as his thumb teased her neck. She didn’t want to nod and risk displacing his hand from there. “Yes,” she managed to whimper out, filled with the need to have him do exactly as he said he wanted to do in the car.

“Hn.” His hand drifted away from her neck and she whined, blinking her eyes open to turn and look at him. He gave a slight chuckle at the expression on her face before running his hands down her arms, lifting her wrists. He bent down and nipped at them lightly before encircling both her wrists in one of his large hands, pulling her away to a private corner with a couch, a collection of toys, and some rope. “Basic hard limits?”

“Aside from orgasms, if it comes from my body it is not part of my sex life. I’m not into serious amounts of pain either. Some light pain is enticing, but don’t be slicing and dicing. Single tails freak me out and I’m not big on roleplay that even teases the idea of incest.”

“Hn.” Sesshoumaru stood up as he considered her words, making his way over to the selection of rope to consider. “Anything I should know about you specifically as a sub?”

Kagome gave a brilliant smile and leaned back. “I’m a brat, as you’ve figured out. I _like_ being tamed. I _like_ being made to submit. To me, there’s nothing hotter than a man or woman taking away my options until all I have left is to take what I’m given.” She ran her tongue over her front teeth as she considered her words. “In a completely consensual and previously agreed upon manner.” He chuckled at her addendum and lifted a bundle of yellow rope.

“Safeword?”

“Taxes.” This time she managed to get a full chuckle out of him. He shook his head slightly before turning to her, all amusement wiped from his face in an instant. A sliver of fear—the delightful kind—coiled in her stomach as he gazed at her like prey that he had been hunting for the night.

“Remember that word Ka-go-me. I expect you to use it should you require it.” He prowled over to her, slowly untangling the rope and looping it over itself. Her breath caught in her throat and she almost felt trapped by his gaze. Then, the rope was circling her wrists.

She was a good girl at first. She waited patiently while he tested the tightness, while he wrapped her up, while he went through the effort. But she’d been tied up numerous times and knew of many tricks in order to easily release yourself. He wasn’t knotting her in any particular way. Instead, it seemed he was merely testing the waters; perhaps almost deliberately using simple and weak knots. He was offering her a chance to be herself, to act out and be _made_ to submit.

How considerate.

Kagome waited until he began to wrap the rope up her arms before she twisted her wrists, loosening the rope enough for her to slip her hands out of. Then she let out a fake yawn.

“Oh, man Sesshoumaru. You really need to work on your rope play. A beginner could tie better knots,” she mocked, shaking her head as if disappointed. “Maybe go practice on some dolls first.”

Her eyes widened in shock as he smoothly yanked her over his lap onto her stomach, pressing his forearm down onto her back to keep her in place. His free hand connected with her covered ass with a _smack_ , pain instantly flaring up.

“You’re being disrespectful,” he informed her blandly, his hand rubbing away the sting.

“Let go! I was merely being honest! How does honesty get a girl punished?! Where’s the justice in the world?!” His hand smacked against her ass again, this time hard enough to cause a squeak from her. She bit her lip and took in a deep breath as she wiggled in pain.

“I believe five additional swats should cool that temper. Count them.”

“Count them? Ha! What do I look like, your personal assistant?! Count them yourself you demon spawn!” She could’ve sworn she heard a slight chuckle that time.

“Let me put it like this _kitten_. Every time you fail to count, I will start over. We will continue on until you decide to do so.” She wiggled once more in his lap, the combination of his tone, his voice, her position, and the entire situation causing a burning in her core. Her teeth caught her bottom lip and she closed her eyes as she took a second to just… Embrace the scene. And he allowed her that moment.

For three years, she’d felt lost and alone. Now, she was able to get that need fulfilled. She just needed a moment to process it all. Then her eyes snapped open and she was fully immersed.

“Fuck you! I bet your hand gets tired before I give in!” His hand cracked against her ass again, the force causing her to rock forward. If she wasn’t dripping wet before, she certainly was now. “That hurt asshole! Do you get off on beating on girls or something?” _Crack!_ “Ouch! What do you take me for? The resident punching bag?” _Crack!_ She squeezed her eyes shut as tears began to form. She tried to remember the next insult she had lined up, something about him somehow managing to be the fastest sperm, when his hand moved between her legs and rubbed right over her slit. She gasped and gripped his leg as pleasure swarmed through her, a moan leaving her traitorous lips. Then his hand was gone and _crack!_ She whined as his hand returned.

“The sooner you count, the sooner you can get off,” he rumbled in her ear. She whined when his hand left her again, her legs shaking from the strain. She took in a deep breath, trying to readjust her balance when _crack!_ _Crack! Crack!_ His hand returned to her core. Tears dripped down her face as she whined.

“Please, please, please,” she whined, moving her hips to try and increase the pressure.

“What number kitten?” She whimpered at his question. _Crack!_

“One! One, one, one, one, one!” she pleaded. His hand rubbed away the sting and she rubbed her cheek against his leg. _Crack!_ “Two!”

“Good girl. We’re almost done.” The pride in his voice practically lifted her up. _Crack! Crack! Crack!_

“Three! Four! Five!” she shouted, openly sobbing now. He hushed her gently and his hand returned to between her thighs. She gasped as he rubbed firmly, hitting the right spot with just the right amount of pressure. The wave inside her built swiftly and she came with a cry, clinging tightly onto him.

He pulled her up and into his lap, softly telling her how good she was and how beautifully she came. She let the words wash over her as she snuggled firmly into his chest, breathing in his scent and enjoying his presence as she rode the high.

~ ~ ~

 _She hit subspace that quickly?_ Sesshoumaru was slightly taken aback. He hadn’t expected her to hit subspace after a single light spanking scene. _Though it has been three years for her… She must’ve been avoiding the scene like a plague to be this deprived._ It wasn’t healthy behavior. He frowned as he pulled her tighter in his arms. _No one should ever be this deprived of their sexual needs for any reason._ He thought back to Garret’s words back at the restaurant while Kagome had been fighting with Inuyasha outside.

“ _She’s so paranoid about anyone finding out about her being involved in the scene,” Garret said with a sigh. “She was so paranoid that she even panicked at the thought of us showing up as a surprise or spending any time with her friends and family from here. It’s like we’re her dirty little secret that she isn’t allowed to indulge in.”_

“ _Hn.” I frowned at that._

“ _I think she’s so worried about being judged that she’s been depriving herself. I just hope we can get her to loosen up and remember that she isn’t alone. She deserves some bit of peace and happiness.” I gave him a nod in agreement, my mind churning out different ways to get her to agree to a scene._

He lifted his head at the sound of someone clearing their throat and raised a brow at one of the dungeon assistants kneeling before him. The man gave Kagome a gentle smile before offering Sesshoumaru a blanket, a bottle of water, and a chocolate bar. Sesshoumaru nodded and the man swiftly rose to his feet to carefully place the water and chocolate on the table in front of them before gently covering Kagome with the blanket. He gave a brief bow before walking away.

Sesshoumaru tucked the blanket firmly around the little sub and gave a small grin. The way she was cuddling up to him and rubbing her head against him… Well, he definitely could see how she earned her nickname of _Kitten_.

~ ~ ~

Kagome blinked her eyes open and took a deep breath, slowly coming down from the wonderful high of subspace. A piece of chocolate suddenly appeared before her and her eyes flicked up to see Sesshoumaru looking down at her, holding a piece of chocolate before her lips. She opened her mouth, allowing him to place the piece on her tongue, before closing her lips around his fingers. She sucked gently and rubbed the side of her tongue against his fingers, earning herself a raised brow, before pulling her head back to chew. Another piece appeared soon after.

She contently closed her eyes and allowed Sesshoumaru to feed her piece after piece of chocolate. Neither spoke, just enjoyed the moment and the thread that tied them together in that moment. After the chocolate was gone, an open bottle of water was pressed into her hands and Kagome obediently tilted her head to drain about half of it. Sesshoumaru gave a rumble of satisfaction once she pulled it from her lips.

“Thank you,” she mumbled softly, her throat feeling a bit hoarse from her shouting. She snuggled closer to him. “I think I needed that.”

“You’re welcome.” He rested his chin on the top of her head. “I am more than willing to help in future needs. You need only ask.” Her lips curved up in a small smile as she considered this, letting herself get lost in the wonderful imagination of this possibly becoming a recurring thing. It was ridiculous, but a nice thought. _He’s just still feeling the high of Dom space. He doesn’t know what he’s saying,_ she thought to herself.

He tilted her head up to face him, his eyes holding her hostage. They stared at each other for a couple seconds before he lowered his head and claimed her lips with his own. She gave a small gasp as his tongue pushed into her mouth and tangled with hers. Greedily taking what he offered, she kissed him back and slid her hands up his chest to latch around the back of his neck. _Kami the man can kiss._ He nipped at her lips and explored her mouth with the skill of a man who had plenty of experience. She was lost in him. Then he tilted her chin up higher and let his mouth run down her jaw before finding her neck, a pleased gasp leaving her mouth.

And, just as he stated he wanted to do in the car last night, he ran his teeth down her jugular, nipping along the way. She tightened her grip on him and moaned softly, letting her head fall back in complete submission, her eyes shutting as he continued. He drew his lips and teeth back up her neck to claim her lips again, drawing her in and making her head spin.

When he finally pulled away, he gave her a simple smirk. “You taste wonderful,” he informed her. She blinked as her heart thumped in her chest, finding herself lost in his beautiful honey-colored eyes. His eyes suddenly turned serious. “Don’t deprive yourself of who you are Kagome.”

~ ~ ~

Kagome gave a slight wince as she sat down at the table for breakfast with Kikyou, her elder sister giving her a concerned look. Kikyou pushed her thick, straight black hair from her face and made her way over to Kagome’s side.

“Are you alright?” she asked gently, her bright brown eyes emitting concern. Kagome forced a smile.

“I’m fine! Just… Pulled a muscle. All good, I promise,” she reassured the doctor, slightly paling at the thought of Kikyou looking over her to find her ass was bruised a beautiful purple and red. Every time Kagome moved, pain shot through her, and she found herself growing wet as she was reminded of the night’s previous activities.

“You pulled a muscle? Where? Let me check you over.” Kikyou’s hands were suddenly on Kagome as she tried to feel where this imaginary injury was. Kagome hissed as she was jostled, cursing herself for deliberately asking Sesshoumaru not to apply anything to her ass because she wanted to see it bruise and remind her of the night. _Stupid, stupid!_ She’d been stuck riding the high of endorphins and feeling invincible last night. Every time he asked her if she was certain—something her friends also double-checked with her—she insisted. Even if she spent a solid fifteen minutes after waking up to coo and grin over the bruises, it was not worth Kikyou’s concern.

“Kikyou, I’m _fine._ I promise,” Kagome pleaded, holding her hands out. Kikyou frowned at her, seemingly not convinced, but allowed the topic to drop with a sigh. She returned to her own seat and pulled her bowl of rice and eggs towards herself, picking through the bowl with her chopsticks.

“Did you have fun with your friends last night?” she asked. Kagome nodded and shoved some food into her mouth. Kikyou waited for Kagome to elaborate, but when she didn’t… “So, nothing happened?” Kagome blinked, immediately thinking of the private dungeon she and her friends had spent the majority of the night.

After her mini-scene with Sesshoumaru, Sango had offered to tie Kagome up in some basic Shibari, to which the woman had quickly agreed. The rope scene had been a wonderful contrast to the spanking she received from Sesshoumaru and had quickly sent her back up to subspace, making her feel as if her bones were nonexistent. Then Garret had offered to flog her and she jumped on that idea as well, the lashes he administered feeling like a welcoming massage that left her with a dazed smile. Hojo had finally cut in after that and had given her a simple foot massage—fuck she had forgotten how amazing he was at those—while she cuddled up against Sesshoumaru and watched some other scenes play out. The entire night, she felt like the star of a show. Each Top had given her an experience she’d been missing in the last three years, almost as if they were determined to remind her of what she was missing out on. Or as Sesshoumaru put it, what she’d been depriving herself of.

“What do you mean?” Kagome asked cautiously, shifting in her seat and immediately regretting it. Kikyou sighed and placed down her chopsticks, folding her hands in front of her.

“Inuyasha called me this morning after I got off work.” _Oh._ “He said you two got into a big fight and he ended up storming off.”

Kagome bit her lip as she glanced away, having forgotten about that incident amidst everything else that had occurred that night. “He doesn’t like my friends, I guess.” She gave a shrug and pushed her chopsticks through her rice.

“They made him feel stupid, they acted like they were better than him, and they implied that he didn’t know who you are,” Kikyou listed casually, lifting her chopsticks once more. She pinned Kagome with a hard stare. “He does not like them because he doesn’t trust him. I know Inuyasha can be a bit hot-headed, but he is a good judge of character.”

“We were having a great time until Sesshoumaru showed up,” Kagome objected. They had been laughing and sharing stories all through dinner! It only got awkward when Inuyasha decided to focus on Kagome’s love life and only exploded when his brother had shown up! “I didn’t realize Garret had known Sesshoumaru back in Chicago and they were friends. Garret invited him out with us and Inuyasha was taken off-guard.”

“That’s not exactly the way Inuyasha tells it,” Kikyou replied, taking a moment to take a bite of her egg. “He was feeling uncomfortable all night long with the way they interacted with each other and you. He did his best to shrug it off for _your_ sake. Sesshoumaru’s arrival was merely the straw that broke the camel’s back.”

“Well, they’re traveling back to Chicago tonight,” Kagome snapped, frowning at her food. When she had found out they’d only been able to get the weekend off together, due to an extended holiday back in America, she’d been disappointed. She had hoped they would be here for longer, but they promised that either they would visit again soon or they would make _her_ visit _them_ soon. “So he won’t have to worry about the dangerous Americans corrupting me anymore.”

“We’re just concerned about you Kagome.” Kagome stood up with a huff, turning to storm out.

“I’m a grown woman. I don’t need you two protecting me. I can do that myself!”

“Kagome! Wait!”

“I’m going to take a shower!” With that, Kagome stomped off to the bathroom.

Once inside the bathroom, she forced herself to calm down. Kikyou and Inuyasha were just worried. She’d probably be worried too if the roles were reversed. Due to the nature of growing up at a shrine, she and Kikyou had been fairly sheltered growing up and were raised on pretty traditional ideals and values. Inuyasha had been raised by a conservative and stuck-up woman. The knowledge that Kagome was even remotely attracted to other women was probably enough to completely shatter Inuyasha’s world-view. And that was just the women. She could only imagine how he’d react if he discovered she enjoyed getting beat up on in the bedroom.

With a sigh, she tugged her sweater off and turned to glance at her back in the mirror. The marks from her flogging were light and barely noticeable with only a couple darker areas where she’d been struck hard enough to bruise. She ran her fingers over those bruises and flushed as she remembered catching Sesshoumaru’s eyes during the scene. He’d been enraptured. By her. She shivered at the memory of those gorgeous eyes before carefully peeling off her pants.

Now those bruises were definitely noticeable. And gorgeous. Neither cheek had been neglected, and both sported equally beautiful marks that she felt proud of. She earned those marks. She smirked to herself in the mirror and pulled her hair up in a bun. She’d definitely fought for those marks.

“Kagome, I wanted to apolo—” Kikyou suddenly cut herself off as she walked into the bathroom without knocking. Kagome swiftly spun to face her, eyes wide. But it was definitely too late. Kikyou had definitely seen those _very_ noticeable bruises. “Oh Kami, what happened to you?!”

“It’s nothing, I’m fine!” Kagome promised, grabbing at her sweater swiftly to try and cover herself up.

“That is not nothing Kagome! Who hurt you?! Who did this to you?!” Kikyou grabbed Kagome’s arm and forced her to turn around, running her fingers gently across the many bruises. “Did _they_ do this to you?” Her tone had lost the air of concern and immediately dropped to one of deadly anger.

“Everything was consensual,” Kagome attempted. Kikyou froze.

“You… Agreed to this kind of treatment?” Her voice was like ice.

“Kikyou, please it’s not that serious!”

“This is extremely serious! Do you know how many patients I have had to put back together after a partner decided to use them as a punching bag? Stay there, I’m getting my bag.” She straightened and made her way out of the bathroom. “And I’m calling Inuyasha.”

~ ~ ~

Sesshoumaru walked out of his building with a sigh, feeling the strain of the day’s work and all its stressors in his shoulders. He was looking forward to a night of rest and relaxation. Maybe inviting the kitten out for a drink. He felt himself stiffen at the mental image of her behind him, her fingers rubbing the tightness from his shoulders and neck. That dark hair swaying in his side view as she teased him and prodded at him while she did so. He smirked at the thought of pulling her to her knees before him and finding another use for that smart mouth of hers.

“You son of a bitch!” A fist slammed into his jaw and he jerked backward, hissing in pain as he turned to face his irate half-brother. “The fuck did you _do_ to her?!” Sesshoumaru blocked the next punch and scowled, shoving Inuyasha back.

“What the hell are you talking about?” he demanded, rubbing his jaw. Inuyasha bristled with rage, his hands clenched tightly into fists.

“Do you get off on beating on women? I knew you were a prick, but this shit takes the fuckin’ cake you sick bastard!” _Kagome._ _She did refuse anything for the bruises last night. Did she wake up in further pain? Did I not check myself? Did I harm her?_ Panic at the thought of harm befalling the beautiful little kitten, Sesshoumaru swiftly pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed the number Kagome gave him last night.

“Hello?” she answered, sounding drained. Sesshoumaru’s panic increased ten-fold at the tone of her voice. She sounded defeated.

“Are you alright?” he demanded.

“Sesshoumaru?” Her voice lightened slightly. “I’m fine, I’m fine!”

“Answer me asshole!” Inuyasha spat.

“Is that Inuyasha?” Now she sounded panicked.

“Don’t sugarcoat anything,” Sesshoumaru ordered firmly, completely ignoring his brother. “Are you in any significant pain Kitten? Why do you sound defeated?” _Could it be sub drop?_ “How is your emotional state? Are you experiencing any symptoms of dropping?”

“What? No! No, no, I told you I’m _fine_. Jeez, fucking overprotective people suffocating me…” She cleared her throat. “I’m fine physically and emotionally. I’m not dropping. My sister walked in while I was about to take a shower and got a front-row viewing of my back and ass. She panicked. She’s mad. And she called Inuyasha. Who is also panicked and mad.” Sesshoumaru actually felt himself deflate as relief flooded him. She was safe, she was fine. Just family who didn’t understand. That he could reasonably handle.

“I’m on my way.” He hung up on her protests and finally turned to face Inuyasha. “Do you want an explanation?”

“Y-yes, of course!” Inuyasha seemed confused at the sudden attention. Sesshoumaru gestured towards his car.

“Then let us go to Kagome where she and I can explain everything to the best of our abilities. And hopefully rid yourself and her sister of any concerns.”

“You think I’d ever let you anywhere near Kagome?”

“If you want your explanation, I think it’s fair that she be able to speak her side of things.” Inuyasha scowled.

“Fine.”

~ ~ ~

“It’s called BDSM,” Kagome explained carefully to Inuyasha and Kikyou. “It stands for bondage, discipline, domination, submission, sadism, and masochism.” Inuyasha frowned.

“Wouldn’t that be B-D-D-S-S-M?” he asked.

“I don’t think the acronym truly matters,” Sesshoumaru mentioned. “If you want to further research it beyond what we explain, you would be researching BDSM.” Inuyasha and Kikyou both scowled at him.

“Look, long story short I’m a submissive,” Kagome interjected before anyone could start throwing insults. That was her job and one she took very seriously. And now was not the time. “That means I enjoy and get off on things like that. The bruises on my rear are simply from a scene—an activity—that I previously had agreed upon. Same with the marks on my back. Any time I wanted it to stop, I could’ve stopped it with a single word. If I didn’t want what happened to happen, all I had to do was say so!”

“And what exactly happened then?” Kikyou demanded, crossing her arms. Kagome flushed.

“I spanked her,” Sesshoumaru stated. “She had told me in no uncertain terms prior to the scene that she desired to be made to submit. She enjoyed the rush of acting out and being made to give in. After she was spanked, I brought her to orgasm before tending to her.” _Well just let them know every detail why don’t you?!_ “Because of what occurred, she reached what is called subspace. This is an altered state of mind that is caused by an influx of adrenaline and endorphins. To combat the inevitable leveling out of these hormones, after a scene the person in charge supplies aftercare to the submissive. In Kagome’s case, she was wrapped in a warm blanket and held before eating chocolate and drinking water.”

“All this care and yet you didn’t even bother to treat her bruises?” Inuyasha snapped, practically snarling at his brother. Kagome pinned him with a glare, hating how hot her face felt. This was her personal life dammit! The fact that she was being made to explain this to two people it didn’t concern was appalling!

“I refused treatment for my bruises!” she shouted. Inuyasha turned to her with a confused look.

“You… Refused treatment?”

“Yes!” She took a deep breath, trying to calm down. “For me, as a submissive, the bruises are like a pleasant reminder of the scenario. I _wanted_ to bruise. I wanted to feel the ache with every step I took for the next few days. I went three years without feeling the connection. So I wanted to feel it just a little longer. And it’s not your job to tell me what is and is not okay to do with my own body!”

Kikyou lifted her cup of tea from the table and took a slow sip, closing her eyes as she considered the information. Kagome waited, hoping that her sister would understand. The cup was placed down with a firm _clink_. “You may be an adult Kagome, but you still live in this house. As our parents have passed on, it is my duty as the eldest sibling to find you an acceptable partner. You fall under my responsibility and I cannot condone this.”

“You can’t stop me Kikyou.” Kagome stood, gritting her teeth. “So long as I’m not doing anything under this roof, you cannot control what actions I take. For five years, I was an active member of the BDSM scene in Chicago. For three years, I stopped simply to avoid this situation. Well, now that it’s all out in the open now, there’s no point in trying to hide it anymore. You’re not Mother, Kikyou. So stop trying to act like it.” Kikyou slammed her hands down on the table.

“That is enough! You’re acting like a petulant _child_. It’s time to grow up and live in the adult world, ridding yourself of these foolish fantasies.” She scowled. “Look at yourself. You’re standing there bruised because someone convinced you this was okay. Well, it’s not okay. You forget yourself Kagome. I still have my wish.”

Kagome froze, staring at Kikyou with open eyes. _She wouldn’t…_ Kikyou’s gaze never wavered. Kagome shook her head, tears filling her eyes. Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru looked confused, but Kagome couldn’t bother thinking about them. Her attention was solely on her sister. “We were told to never wish upon that thing,” she whispered. “Our duty was always to just protect it.”

“I will always place the protection and care of my sister over the protection of some damned rock.” Her expression softened slightly. “Kagome, please. Please don’t push me to use it.”

“Grandfather would be so heartbroken if he could hear you now.” Shaking her head, Kagome bolted from the house, trying to control the flood of tears racing down her face. She tripped and stumbled over her feet until she reached the old well house, shoving herself inside and closing the door behind her. She clutched her chest as the tears fell, her world seeming to close in around her.

After a couple minutes, the door to the well house opened and someone walked in. Kagome knew it was Sesshoumaru without needing to turn around. Inuyasha hated the well house and never came in here and Kikyou would be smart enough to leave her sister be for right now. Sesshoumaru was the only person it could be.

“It’s called the Shikon Jewel,” Kagome said softly, needing to explain what her sister had threatened. “It’s been in my family for generations.” Sesshoumaru remained silent, allowing her to finish. “Each generation gets one wish. One chance to make a perfect wish and have the jewel disappear forever. The person making the wish knows if they failed if the jewel returns to them when the next generation is born. Mother never made a wish because Grandfather always said that it wasn’t worth the risk. Unless the wish was perfect, the consequences would be grave. He always said that the jewel was evil by nature and would attempt to twist the wish into something undesirable. So he always said that it was simply our sacred duty to simply protect it.” Kagome gave a hollow laugh. “Of course, he always said we were protecting it from demons, so who knows how much of the story is true. But we do know the jewel is real. There’s this strong aura emitting from it that can’t be explained away.”

“How can you be certain of the jewel’s powers?” he asked. Kagome gave a small shrug.

“Because Kikyou and I tried to throw it away once. We snuck out with it at night when I was in middle school. We figured it was better off at the bottom of an ocean rather than in the hands of man if it was so dangerous. We took the train out to the beach and threw it as far as we could. But when we got back… The jewel was right there in Mother’s hands and she was waiting for us.

“I guess she woke up to find it pulsing in her hands, dripping wet, instead of where she usually kept it in her safe. And she discovered that two of her children were missing. Somehow the jewel returned to her—the current guardian—and let her know that she needed to search for us.” Kagome shook her head. “Any attempt to rid ourselves of the jewel by normal means just doesn’t work. Any time we tried to rid ourselves of it, it just came back.” Kagome shook her head. “You probably think I’m crazy. Wishing jewels and demons. I know it sounds insane.”

“Whether you are crazy for believing it or not makes no difference,” Sesshoumaru said. “You do believe it and so it scares you. The idea of having no control over your life.” His arms came around her and he held her close against his chest, head bending down to press a kiss against the side of her neck. “It does not matter if I believe it or not. I will not mock you for your beliefs. I will not question your sanity. Instead, I will merely promise you that I will never allow you to be placed in such a situation.” His arms tightened slightly. “Trust in me, Kagome. Not in this mystical jewel.”

Kagome relaxed back against him, closing her eyes and simply feeling the connecting string that seemed to hold them together. It felt sturdy and real. Made of steel that no one could break. She turned to face him and threw her arms around his neck, pressing her lips against his. Understanding, he allowed her to control the kiss, parting his lips for her and letting her explore his mouth much as he did with her the night before. He allowed her to have that control, even she could tell that much. He was holding himself back from taking the control from her, she could feel the strain in his arms. After a few more seconds of enjoying the moment, she bit his lower lip and let out a soft whimper. His control snapped.

He lifted her easily and placed her on the lid of the old well, taking control of the kiss without a second thought. A hand came up to cup her chin, holding her head in place as he plundered her mouth, causing her head to spin. He seemed almost ferocious like he needed to place a claim on her to let all the world know that she was his.

When he finally pulled his lips from hers to allow her to breathe, she tipped her head fully back to expose her neck to him. “Take me,” she begged. “Take me away from all of this uncertainty.”

“Are you certain?” he asked gently, nipping at her jugular.

“Yes,” she stated firmly. “Whether it’s just for the night or for the rest of our lives, I want you to take me.” Her eyes flashed with mischief. “If you think you can handle me.” He chuckled.

“I am more than willing to accept your challenge little kitten.” He pulled away from her and took her hand, pulling her from the well house to lead her to his car. Inuyasha stopped them at the top of the steps.

“Move,” Kagome ordered, glaring at him. He seemed indecisive. He looked between Sesshoumaru and Kagome before his eyes fell on their clasped hands. Sesshoumaru tightened his hold on Kagome as if he were afraid his half-brother would take her away.

“I don’t understand this BDSM stuff,” Inuyasha said, crossing his arms. “And I ain’t about to pretend like I do.” He kicked his feet slightly. “But your friend, Sango… This is what she meant by shamin’ you for something that gives you a click. Isn’t it?”

“Yeah.”

He scowled slightly. “Well… I ain’t gonna shame you for this. If this is truly what you want and what makes you _click_ or whatever. I’m willin’ to try and understand.” He struck Sesshoumaru with a hard glare. “But if you hurt her in any way that she ain’t wanting… Or if you don’t stop when she tells you to, I _will_ kill you.”

“Noted.”

“Thank you Inuyasha,” Kagome breathed out, tears filling her eyes again as a smile broke out on her face. She released Sesshoumaru’s hand to wrap her arms around her best friend, hugging him tightly. “Thank you…”

“Keh,” he grunted, suddenly uncomfortable with the closeness. But he did hug her back. “I just wish you would’ve told me yourself, sooner. But I get the fear of being looked down upon. Of bein’ judged for something you can’t control. I love you Kagome, and nothin’ will ever change that.” He pulled away and gave her a grin. “Just don’t start strippin’ alright? I don’t think my heart could take it.”

Kagome let out a bright laugh and let him brush away her tears. “I promise, I won’t start stripping.” She stuck her tongue out at him. “It doesn’t hold that click for me anyway.” He blinked in shock, his jaw dropping.

“Wait, does that mean you tried it?!”

“Hm, maybe.” She winked. “Wouldn’t you like to know?” She pulled away from him and returned to Sesshoumaru’s side, taking his hand once more. Inuyasha blushed and moved to the side, allowing them to pass.

“I’ll talk to Kikyou. Try and calm her down, ya know?” Kagome nodded in thanks and allowed Sesshoumaru to lead her down the steps to his car.

~ ~ ~

“Do you want to shower?” Sesshoumaru asked her softly as they walked into his penthouse. Kagome shook her head, glancing around in slight awe of his clearly expensive home. He chuckled at her expression, taking her hand and leading her towards the bedroom. “Well, I want a quick shower. It was a long day at work and I never did get a moment to unwind after the day.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead before dropping her hand. “I’ll only be fifteen minutes.” His eyes flashed suddenly. “I expect you to be stripped and kneeling before my bed with your head bowed and your hands on your knees when I return.” She didn’t bother replying. They both knew she would _not_ be doing that. But why spoil the game? Instead, she gave him a brilliant smile and watched him walk into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.

Once the door clicked shut, she smirked and clapped her hands together in glee. _Time to explore and cause some mischief._ So, she began the process of poking around his bedroom. She opened his drawers, checked his wardrobe, glanced in his closet, peeked under his bed. Then finally, after a solid three minutes of searching, she found her prey. His toy bag. Sneaky bastard had it hiding with some empty suitcases, letting it be disguised as a mere travel bag. She grinned evilly and began searching through the bag, humming to herself as she pulled out a couple of different floggers. She considered them, running her fingers over the leather of the strands. _Wouldn’t they be so pretty tied together?_ She bit her lip as she considered the project, then set to work.

The smallest flogger was the clear centerpiece of her masterpiece. She used the strands from that one to connect the rest together. Her brow furrowed as she carefully tied the strands together, making sure not to tie them _too_ tight and completely ruining the toys. Just tight enough that it would take some time to undo all her hard work. Her tongue popped out of the side of her mouth as she decided last minute to tie one of his crops into the project and that mean-looking paddle that was designed with double-flaps to hit harder than a normal paddle. _Sadist_.

She heard the shower turn off and quickly stuffed everything back in his toy bag, shoving it back in its original home. Then she jumped up on the bed and tugged her shirt off, tossing it across the room. Next, she laid down on her stomach and pulled her phone from her pocket, managing to turn on the screen and pretend as if she’d been looking at something when the bathroom door swung open.

She raised her head to give him a cheeky greeting when her mouth went dry. He was shirtless and rubbing a towel against his still-wet hair. Beads of water dripped down his muscular chest in a line that she had the strangest desire to run her tongue against. He wore simple low-slung jeans, giving her a wonderful view of his abs and the ‘v’ that they formed to almost entice her eyes to look further down. She forgot her entire plan as her eyes dragged over him from head to toe shamelessly, drinking in his gorgeous body.

“I believe I told you to be stripped and kneeling kitten,” he rumbled. She blinked, remembering herself, and gave him the most innocent look she could muster.

“I am stripped,” she replied, using a sweet voice. “You never specified how much to strip. I figured my shirt would be sufficient. And I got tired of waiting around for you, so I decided to browse on my phone for a bit. Besides, the bed is much more comfortable than the floor.” She pouted. “You have hard-wood flooring. That would hurt my poor knees.”

“Hn.” He stalked over to her, tossing the towel in a hamper, his eyes never leaving hers. His face was a clear mask of indifference, but his eyes held a glimmer of amusement. He was definitely enjoying the game as much as she was. “So you were only waiting for me, were you?”

“Whatever would give you the impression that I was doing anything else?”

“My closet door is open. I know it was shut previously. And my travel bags seemed to have been moved a bit.”

“Bored kittens like to explore,” she replied smoothly. He quirked a brow at her.

“I seem to recall being warned to keep you from my toy bag. Just how much did you _explore_ kitten?” She hummed and glanced away, tapping her finger against her chin like she had to think it over.

“A bit, here and there.”

“Hn.” He walked over to his toy bag and lifted it smoothly before returning to her and dropping it on the bed in front of her. He straightened and crossed his arms. “For every single toy you tampered with, I deny an orgasm from you.” Her mouth fell open and her eyes widened. She mentally tried to count all the toys she had added to her art project. _It has to be five or six. At least!_ “Open the bag kitten.” His voice left no room for arguments.

“But—”

“Don’t make me tell you again.”

She let out a whine and chewed on her lip, reaching forward with shaking hands to carefully open the bag. Gulping, she reached inside and carefully removed her project. With how she ended up tying everything together, it almost looked like a stick figure complete with flogger handles acting as a head, arm, leg, and dick while the paddle was the other arm and the crop served as the other leg. A final flogger handle served as the spine to hold everything in place. _Seven… I used seven toys… Fuck._

She peeked up at him from under her lashes, trying to keep the guilty look from her face. His eyes ran over the mess and it was clear he was counting. _Maybe he won’t notice the seventh flogger?_ His eyes flicked back up to hers and she knew it was hopeless. Asshole had noticed the bag had been touched to begin with. There’s no way he wouldn’t notice the fact that everything was firmly tied around the handle of a fifth flogger.

“Strip. Completely. You have thirty seconds. For every second you go over, I will add another orgasm to deny.” She didn’t question him this time. Instead, she shoved herself off the bed and yanked her jeans and panties off as swiftly as she could, ignoring the sting from the bruises on her ass. Her hands reached behind her and she unclasped her bra, chucking it off before quickly tugging her socks off. When she was finished, she was flushed and breathing heavily. “Twenty-two seconds. Well done kitten.” He walked over to her and clasped her jaw firmly in his hand, tilting her head up to claim her lips.

His free hand came up and molded against her breast, thumb rubbing against her already hardened nipple. She released a moan and pushed her chest further into his hand, earning herself a pinch. She squeaked against his lips and he growled slightly.

“I don’t believe I gave you leave to move,” he muttered against her lips. His tongue tangled with hers and his hand left her breast to rub directly over her wet slit, a whimper leaving her. His talented fingers easily found her entrance and he inserted two fingers into her, curling up and moving against her inner walls. His thumb landed on her clit and he rubbed in an easy circle while his fingers pumped, all reason leaving her brain. She struggled to remain still as he teased her, bringing her up to the precipice. And just as she was about to tumble over, his hand completely left her.

She let out a low whine as he stepped away, gasping and shaking as he denied her. The corner of his mouth turned up. “I believe that’s number one.” She gaped at him. He ignored her and gestured to the bed before digging through his bag. “Lay down on your back on the bed. Don’t make me say it twice if you ever want to get off tonight.” She pouted at his back but moved to lay down on the bed, eyeing him suspiciously.

“I thought it was pretty,” she muttered under her breath.

“I’m certain you’ll find it just as pretty when you take it apart in the morning,” he replied without missing a beat. Her eyes widened at him. _How the hell did he hear me?_ “Kami, you made a mess of my bag.” Finally, he pulled out two cuffs that were connected with a thin chain and a bit gag. Her eyes widened and her lips parted as she realized the start of his nefarious plan. He was going to have her immobile to the bed and completely gagged.

His gaze searched her face as her breathing picked up. She thought of herself, open to him, unable to escape. Unable to speak… To use her safeword… How would she tell him if it became too much? How would he know when to stop.

“Give me a color kitten.” Her eyes dragged away from the toys to his face. Color. He needed a color.

“Yellow,” she told him, chewing on her lip. He nodded and set the toys down before sitting beside her, carefully resting his hand against her bare thigh.

“Was it the cuffs or the gag? You didn’t seem to have a problem with being restrained last night, but I know that was in a public setting. You also didn’t mention anything about gagging being a hard limit for you, however, I know that was a bit more situational in the moment.”

“The gag,” she admitted. “It’s been three and a half years since I’ve been properly gagged and my last experience with it wasn’t the greatest. My partner had given me a bell to ring if I needed to safeword, but I accidentally dropped it mid-scene and had no way of telling him. He didn’t realize I dropped it because of my position and I ended up panicking.” He nodded carefully and reached back into his bag, pulling out… A dog toy?

“This is what I would give you in place of a safeword,” he told her. He showed her the large pink bone and squeezed it. It emitted a large squeak. “It’s bright pink because all my other toys are darkly colored, which makes it easy to spot. It’s also large, so I can tell if you have it firmly in your hand. And if it drops…” He extended his arm and released it. It hit the floor and emitted another squeak. “There’s no way for me to miss that sound. And even if I do, if I even think you’re not holding onto it I will stop everything to double-check.” He reached over and picked the toy back up. “Would you like to try, or would you prefer to not be gagged?”

She considered everything he told her and explained. The bone was large and there was no way for her to hide it in her hand. And with how she expected him to have her immobilized on the bed, it would be in clear view at all times. Even if she somehow ended up dropping it, he’d clearly see it against his white sheets. And if it managed to fall off the bed, he had just demonstrated how it’d make a clear sound on impact with the floor.

“I can try,” she decided. He gifted her with a smile.

“Brave kitten.” She practically glowed at his words.

He placed the bone down on the bed and lifted the cuffs again, separating them and taking her wrists in his hands. He tightened each one around her wrists, testing both for tightness—and loosening the one on her right wrist when he determined it was too tight—before feeding the chain around his bed’s headboard and connecting the cuffs together again. She tugged slightly against the bonds, testing them herself, before realizing she was completely stuck and at his mercy. His hands trailed down her arms and across her sides before he moved to carefully place the bit in her mouth, lifting her head slightly to fasten it. She clamped her teeth down around it and took a slow breath in through her nose, trying to relax. Finally, he placed the bone in her right hand and waited until she had a firm grip on it before leaning back.

“Squeeze the bone,” he ordered. She squeezed it a couple of times, the toy sounding like she was trying to destroy the squeaker inside. Satisfied, he gave her a nod. “If you need to safeword, do that. I’ll consider a single squeak as a soft yellow, just in case you forget you’re holding the thing and clench your hands.” She curled her upper lip from her teeth and made a scoffing noise in the back of her throat, making it clear she doubted his skills.

His hands returned to his toy bag and he pulled out a butterfly vibrator along with a remote. She paled as she recalled her punishment. _That is simply just cruel._ He easily wrapped the vibe around her thighs with the straps and placed the vibe directly on her clit. She gasped when he hit a button on the remote and the vibrator turned on with a low hum. Her teeth sank into the gag as her toes curled. Her eyes shut against the sensation. She heard him shuffling around in his bag again, but she ignored him. All of her focus was placed on the vibrator, which was slowly—so _slowly—_ bringing her up. The vibrations picked up and she cried out against the gag, her hips jerking up. _Almost, almost…_ The vibe suddenly shut off and she let out a wail of frustration.

“Two. You still owe me five.” She huffed and panted at his words, opening her eyes to simply glare at him. He returned her glare with an impassive look. “I could’ve demanded seven orgasms from you instead of denying you seven. But orgasm torture seemed like a bit much for a second date.” He smirked. “Let’s get to number three.” The vibe turned back on and she squeaked, heat churning in her core. His gaze never left her as he watched her lose herself to the toy once more, shaking her head as she tried to force her orgasm early. But, as before, just when she was about to come… The fucker turned it off. Her head thumped back against his pillows in frustration.

She was breathing heavily through her nose, giving him a pleading look. He gave her an evil smirk before lifting a condom to his mouth and slowly tearing it open with his teeth. Her nostrils flared as she watched him intently.

“I worry just the butterfly may not end up being enough for you kitten,” he commented. _If you fuck me, I will come apart._ She wiggled her hips invitingly. His smirk grew at her actions. Instead of taking off his pants, rolling that condom on, and fucking her into oblivion, he pulled a dildo out of his bag. _Shit._ The vibe was turned back on as he rolled the condom onto the dildo, placing it against her slit. She sucked in a breath as he rubbed it against her opening before carefully pushing it into her.

Her back arched at the sensation and her legs automatically spread wider for him. He began to pump it in and out of her, keeping a rhythm as he moved it. She was aware she was making sounds in the back of her throat, sounds that were probably completely unbecoming of a brat such as herself, but she didn’t care. Sesshoumaru suddenly leaned down to her ear.

“I’ll make you a deal kitten,” he said lowly. “If you can beg for forgiveness and plead prettily for your orgasm, I’ll forgive the remaining three that I’m owed.” _Three?_ He pulled the dildo out and shut off the vibe, a cry bubbling up in her throat. She felt as though her entire lower half was on fire like the next touch would send her over. He carefully undid the gag and pulled it from her mouth.

“I’m sorry!” she immediately let out, her only thought on the seemingly unreachable orgasm he dangled just out of her reach. “I’m so sorry! Please forgive me! I won’t do it again! Okay, that’s a lie, I’ll probably do it again, but I’ll feel really, _really_ bad about it! Please, please just let me come!”

“Hn.” He considered her before taking the bone out of her hand and dropping it into his toy bag. Then he pulled out another condom and placed the edge against her teeth. She caught the hint and bit down against the corner of the foil while he used her to open the tiny packet. He pulled it away after it was open and stood. His eyes remained on her as he stripped his jeans off, freeing his large cock. She licked her lips as he rolled the condom on and climbed back on the bed, situating himself between her legs. He gripped her left thigh tightly and raised that leg, tossing it over his shoulder. Then he began sliding himself into her.

She gasped as he entered her, feeling herself stretch around him. He was definitely bigger than she expected and she almost felt too tight for him. He groaned as he pushed forward, and she lifted her hips slightly to encourage him to hurry the fuck up.

“Fuck, please…” she moaned, her hands clenching into fists. When he was finally seated in to the hilt, he paused and took a moment to breathe. He pushed his hair from his forehead with a hand and stared down at her.

“Fuck, you are tight.” He sounded like he was barely controlling himself. “You should see yourself. Flushed and quivering, wrapped around me. This is an image that will be burned into my mind until I die.” He reached forward and wrapped a hand around her throat, squeezing ever so slightly. “Fucking gorgeous.”

“Please, please, please,” she pleaded, pushing her neck against his hand. He flashed a grin.

“Now that was a pretty plea.” His free hand hit a button on the remote and the vibrator started back up again. Then he pulled out before surging back in, earning a cry from her.

“Yes! Harder! Please!” He ignored her as he began to thrust in and out, keeping his own pace as he watched her with those amber eyes of his. He angled his hips suddenly and she slammed her eyes shut as an orgasm rocked through her body. She let out a broken cry as she rode the wave, yanking on the cuffs that attached her to his bed. His hand squeezed a little harder before he released, rubbing his thumb against the side of her neck.

As his orgasm tapered off, she felt herself rising towards another one. Her eyes rolled up as she gasped for air. His hand left her neck to grip her hips tightly and he began to pound into her with wild abandon, gifting her with hard and quick short thrusts. Then, just as her muscles clenched around him and a second orgasm tore through her, he stiffened as he came, letting out a fierce growl that made her clench even more tightly around him.

His hand smacked against the remote and the vibe turned off. Then he simply held himself up over her, allowing her leg to slide off his shoulder as they both struggled for breath. His lips found hers and he gifted her with a slow kiss that almost felt… Romantic.

“I would love nothing more than to remain deep inside you all night long,” he admitted once he pulled away from her lips. “But I should probably get us cleaned up.” She giggled at that.

He slowly pulled himself out of her with a groan, moving off the bed to dispose of the condom he was wearing and the one that had covered the dildo. Then he removed the vibe from her, placing it in a plastic container with a label that read ‘To Clean’ on it. The dildo and gag went in there as well. After that was set off to the side, he disappeared into the bathroom before coming back out with a wet washcloth. He carefully cleaned between her legs and she closed her eyes against his gentle ministrations.

When she was cleaned to his satisfaction, the washcloth went into the hamper. Then he carefully uncuffed her from his headboard, tossing the cuffs back into his toy bag. His fingers massaged against her shoulders as she brought her arms down, a pleased moan erupting from her. His toy bag, and her art piece, ended up on the floor and he tucked her under his blankets, climbing into the bed beside her. He reached over to his nightstand and hit a switch, the lights going out, before wrapping his arms around her. She happily curled up in his embrace, snuggling her head against the crook of his neck. He chuckled at her movements before pressing a kiss against the top of her head.

“Get some sleep my kitten.” Her heart stuttered at his gentle claim and she found herself smiling as she drifted off to sleep in his arms.

~ ~ ~

Sesshoumaru stared down at the sleeping woman in his arms. He’d felt it again, that firm connection tying them together. He considered it. At first, he’d simply wanted to play with her and enjoy her body, what she had to offer. But now, he found he wanted more. She fit in his arms. He wanted to know her, discover everything that made her click. It was much too soon to even entertain the idea of calling it ‘love,’ but this was definitely more than mere lust. He liked her. He didn’t think he would truly enjoy a brat—his usual preferred partner was a sub who eagerly obeyed—however, he found himself enjoying the chase with her. Watching her struggle for control, pushing as many buttons as she could find, before ultimately giving in to him and making that eventual submission all the sweeter.

He took in a deep breath. Like a fun chase, he was the hunter and she was his prey.

His fingers brushed her hair away from her face before he brushed his lips across her forehead, content to watching her sleep secured in his arms.

~ ~ ~

“Kikyou, I think you should let this go,” Inuyasha said gently, earning himself a glare. “She has a valid point. She is an adult woman and she’s been doing this for a while now. The reason she hid this from us for so long was _because_ she was afraid something like this would happen. You’re proving her worries and fears correct.”

“Good. Because I will not stand to watch my sister be forced to walk around covered in bruises from some abusive asshole,” Kikyou snapped, not bothering to give an inch.

“If you’re concerned about her well-being, wouldn’t it be better to accept that side of her? Then you can fully monitor the situation. You’ll know if something goes too far. The way you’re going will just push her to sneak around you and keep you in the dark.”

“It went too far the moment she received a single mark inflicted by that bastard.”

“If we’re bein’ fair.” He ignored the scoff she sent him. “It’s not like he was beatin’ on her or nothin’. I mean, she has no bruises on her face or arms to show she was forced into anything. The only real bruising was on her ass.” He blushed brightly at the thought of his best friend’s rear, which Kikyou had taken multiple pictures of and showed to Inuyasha. “And those bruises weren’t even that bad. It was clear he hadn’t s-spanked…” Fuckin’ hell that was not a mental image he wanted. “Her as hard as he could have. He held back a lot.”

“So because he’s a smart abuser makes this better somehow?” she demanded. “I’ve had patients with smart abusers. It’s always just a fun game until they do something to piss him off. ‘I forgot to do the dishes,’ or ‘He thought I was flirting with another guy.’ Then they fly into a rage and they end up in the hospital and on my exam table. The worst part? Those women go _back_ to those abusers. And there’s nothing I can do to help them.” She shoved her fingers through her hair. “I can and will save my sister from that fate. She’s my sister and I would do anything for her. Even if she hates me for it.”

~ ~ ~

Kagome let out a yawn and stretched in the bed, taking a moment to absorb the sound and feel of Sesshoumaru’s bedroom come morning. The sun was streaming in through his large bay windows and warming her face. The blankets were providing a comfortable cocoon she didn’t want to escape from. Her skin felt like she had rolled around in a patch of dirt. She made a face, deciding that leaving the mess she’d made of his blankets was worth a shower.

She squinted her eyes open, peeking around for the man of the hour. He was nowhere to be found. She shrugged to herself and carefully untangled her legs from the twisting mayhem she’d caused in her sleep, shivering from the cold of the room. She stood up from the bed and quickly made her way to his bathroom, jaw dropping at the luxury.

He had a huge bathtub with massage jets that she longed to soak in for hours, double-sinks, and a larger than average separate shower with so many knobs she was certain she’d become confused in a matter of moments. If the bedroom and penthouse itself wasn’t enough of a reminder, the bathroom surely confirmed it. The man reeked of money and he didn’t mind flaunting it. She knew from Inuyasha that he owned his own quite successful business, but she supposed she never truly realized just _how_ successful of a business he owned.

It reminded her of her own state of unemployment.

 _I need a job,_ she informed herself before stepping over to the shower and fiddling with the knobs. Water began pouring from the square shower head that rested up top and she grinned at it. After testing the water and fiddling with the knobs a few more times, she stepped into the warm spray and let out a content moan.

For a moment, she simply stood in the shower and allowed the water to drip down over her. She tipped her face up towards the spout and rubbed her face, smiling at the sensation. Then she set herself to looking for proper bathing equipment.

 _Unscented shampoo, unscented conditioner, unscented body wash… Does the man refuse to smell like anything?_ She chewed her lip as she considered all the different—unscented—options. With a sigh, she contented herself to not smell like her favorite brand of bathing supplies but determined that smelling like nothing was probably better than smelling like sex. If only just.

She was working a lather up in her hair when the shower door opened and Sesshoumaru walked in. She gave an _eep_ at his sudden arrival, not having heard him even enter the bathroom, and dragged her gaze down his very naked body. His gaze did the same as he slowly crowded her against the wall, the look in his eyes—not to mention his very firm, condom-covered erection—telling her in no uncertain terms that he was here for one purpose and one only.

“Haven’t you ever heard of knocking?” she demanded, her face burning as she struggled to wash the shampoo from her hair with him taking up the majority of the spray.

“It is my home and you didn’t ask to use my shower,” he replied smoothly, reaching up and pushing his fingers through her hair, assisting her in washing out the shampoo. She forgot her response and moaned as he massaged her scalp, his fingers pressing against her skull with such a skill she may have been tricked into believing him to be a hairdresser.

“If you keep touching me like that, I may jump your bones,” she joked, licking her lips. He grinned before bending his head to take her lips, encouraging her to part them for him. She did so willingly, pressing her hands against his wet chest and running her fingers over the contours of his body.

This felt different to last night. Whereas last night, their sex was definitely part of the scene, this didn’t have that same air to it. He wasn’t dominating her mouth, he wasn’t demanding submission from her. They were just… Making out in the shower. It felt nice, a simple change that served the purpose of reminding the both of them where the line was between them.

 _He’s telling me, not with words but actions, that it wouldn’t be completely D/s with him all the time. He wouldn’t demand 24/7 with me._ It comforted her. She had tried a 24/7 relationship once and she hated it. She felt like she always had to be in the role of ‘brat’ and wasn’t allowed to simply take a day off. Some days she didn’t want to earn herself a punishment, some days she simply wanted to lounge around or have natural arguments that normal couples had without getting spanked for talking back. There were some who thrived in such relationships, but she wasn’t one of them.

It was comforting to know that Sesshoumaru didn’t demand that of her.

“This isn’t a scene,” he reminded her gruffly after raising his head, his hands sliding down the sides of her body. “Say no, and I’ll walk out and leave you to your shower. It won’t change anything else about the morning or anything between us.” She nipped at his chin and huffed.

“What words would be most appropriate?” she wondered aloud. “Yes? Please? More?” She smirked. “How about now?” His teeth flashed with his grin and his hands gripped the back of her thighs, easily lifting her and pressing her back against the wall.

He slid into her with one thrust, a cry leaving her lips as a groan left his. She wrapped her legs around his waist as tightly as she could and gripped his shoulders. He began to carefully move himself in and out of her, lowering his head to take one of her nipples in his mouth. She tossed her head back as he ran his tongue over it, holding the hard pebble still between his teeth. Her nails clawed down his shoulders as she lost herself in the differing sensations between her breasts and her cunt. He seemed almost determined to bring her up as quickly as he could.

Once he seemed certain of his hold on her, he began to thrust harder and more quickly, her back sliding up and down the wall with each thrust. His head moved to her other breast and he gave it the same treatment as its twin, causing her to catch her bottom lip between her teeth. She was so, so close! Just a little more… He angled himself upwards slightly, hitting that wondrous spot inside her, and she came hard. Her inner muscles tightened around him, urging him to join her in orgasm. He complied and released himself with a grunt, releasing her breast and pressing his forehead firmly against her shoulder. They both held still for a moment as they carefully came down.

Then he was gently sliding himself out of her and placing her down, keeping a firm hold on her until he was certain that she was steady. He vanished for a moment to dispose of the condom before coming back to help her finish her shower.

He washed her hair and her body, focusing his attention solely on her. His fingers didn’t miss a single inch of skin as he tended to her. His fingers seemed to hesitate only once when he was washing her back, those fingers tracing each line of her tattoo. But then he was done, and she happily returned the favor. She definitely took great care in washing every inch of his dick, earning herself a growl from him. When they were both as clean as could be, he shut the shower off and pulled her from the shower to wrap her in a large, fluffy towel. He dried her off, then himself, before leading her into the bedroom and handing her one of his shirts to wear.

They didn’t talk much, but they didn’t need to. She had no desire to fill the air with unneeded chatter and he certainly seemed content just relaxing in her presence. They shared small smiles, light kisses, and lingering touches as they moved around each other. As if they were any other couple going about their morning.

It was perfect.

Until it wasn’t.

~ ~ ~

Kikyou pulled the pink jewel from the safe, staring down at it with conviction. She had to save her sister. This jewel held the power to save her sister from a lifetime of misery. She’d thought all night about the wish she wanted to make, the best wish for her sister. And maybe, just maybe, this would be the wish that got rid of the damn jewel forever. She sucked in a breath.

“I wish to never be parted from my sister and for her to fall for a man like Inuyasha. One who is strong, honorable, courageous, and will protect her,” she told the jewel.

Its pink glow seemed to brighten, almost blinding Kikyou. Her lips stretched in a smile. If it was glowing bright pink, then it must’ve been the right wish! The jewel vanished from her hands and she leaned back against her heels, content with the knowledge that her sister would be safe and she wouldn’t throw Kikyou to the side for making this decision. She might’ve acted like she was okay with Kagome hating her when she and Inuyasha spoke last night, but she wasn’t. The thought of her sister never speaking to her again, never seeing her again, broke Kikyou’s heart and left her with an ache she couldn’t comprehend. Her sister had always been her best friend, they shared everything. Kikyou refused to lose that.

With a gasp, Kikyou clutched a hand to her chest as pain struck her dead center. Her heart thumped painfully. A burn raced down her right shoulder as if she’d been cleaved there. Then… It all faded away. Everything. The entire world.

“You will never be parted from your precious sister,” a voice echoed through her mind. “It’s your soul that will continue to give her life.”

“No! This isn’t what I want!” she cried, coughing up blood.

“But it’s what you asked for.”

At 10:19 in the morning, Higurashi Kikyou faded from the world.

~ ~ ~

Kagome let out a cry as pain erupted in her chest. She fell to her knees and squeezed her eyes shut, arms quickly coming around her. She could vaguely hear Sesshoumaru’s voice demanding to know what was wrong, but her focus wasn’t on that voice. It was on the voice of her sister, echoing loudly through her mind.

“I wish to never be parted from my sister and for her to fall for a man like Inuyasha. One who is strong, honorable, courageous, and will protect her.”

She did it… She truly made a wish… And even Kagome could tell—despite her own personal bias concerning the wish—that it was not the right wish. And the jewel was twisting it. Tears filled her eyes and she forced them open to look at Sesshoumaru pleadingly.

“Find me,” she begged him just as the world began to fade around them. He glanced around in a panic, eyes wide. He yanked her into his arms and held her tight as everything around them simply… Dissolved, taking the lovers right along with it.

~ ~ ~

Higurashi Kagome turned her gaze up to the sky, sighing as she adjusted on her seat in the hot springs. Another day, another mindless search for the jewel shards. She’d taken the time to return back to the future in order to stock up on supplies. Her fingers reached around to scratch her back slightly. Her damn back had been itching like something crazy for the past month, but she’d been too nervous to look at what was going on herself. Instead, she ignored it as best she could. She’d probably just gotten a rash or something. That had to be it. So why was a part of her certain that it was something else? Why was she so scared to look?

“Kagome?” Sango called out, the slayer making her way towards the young girl. Kagome glanced behind her and smiled. “Why’d you sneak off to bathe again? We always bathe together.” Kagome shrugged.

“No reason, just… Felt like being alone.” She forced a laugh. She’d been avoiding Sango because she didn’t want the woman to see her back and tell her what was going on with it. As Sango stepped closer, Kagome watched as her friend’s eyes suddenly widened at whatever was going on with Kagome’s back.

“Oh wow… What kind of art is that?” Sango asked, eagerly moving over to her friend to trace her fingers down her back. Kagome frowned in confusion. Art? She figured her skin was peeling away. “It’s beautiful. How come it isn’t washing off in the bath? And did you decide on getting an inu youkai?”

“What?!” Kagome suddenly forgot all her previous concerns about looking at her back and twisted around, trying to see over her shoulder. She only managed a couple of glimpses of a tattoo—a _tattoo—_ before she was forced to give up. “Sango, get my mirror from my bag and help me!” Her friend blinked but complied and pulled the small mirror from Kagome’s bag, holding it up for her. Kagome glanced over her shoulder into the mirror and her jaw dropped at what she saw.

A gorgeous tattoo stretched across her back, depicting an inu youkai with a bow—her bow—clasped in its terrifying fangs. Bright red eyes seemed to gleam out, warning all to stay away. A single claw dug into her left butt cheek. With a start, she realized the youkai looked suspiciously similar to Sesshoumaru’s true form, complete with the white fur and magenta markings. She shivered at the thought of the cold and uncaring Lord placing any sort of claim upon her.

“I don’t know where this came from,” she whimpered, reaching back to trace her fingers over it. She dragged her eyes from the mirror and looked at Sango, who seemed to be staring at the tattoo as if in a daze. “Sango?” Her friend tore her gaze away from the tattoo and blinked a couple of times, looking confused.

“Maybe it’s some curse or something,” Sango said stiffly, forcing a smile. “Come on, let’s go ask Miroku if he knows what it means. Or maybe Inuyasha will know too.” Her eyes took on that dazed look again. “Yeah, Inuyasha should see this… Let’s go, Kitten.” She shook her head, frowning. “Kagome. Let’s go Kagome.”

~ ~ ~

“It looks like just some simple artwork,” Miroku said. “Pretty though, if a bit terrifying in the eyes.”

“Maybe it was caused by some fox magic,” Shippo suggested. Kagome glanced over to Inuyasha, eager to get his opinion, but he was staring at the tattoo in a similar daze as Sango was.

“Inuyasha?” Kagome asked, frowning. He blinked at her.

“Friends. We’re best friends…” He didn’t seem to be talking to her as much as he was talking to himself. “I’d never shame you for it… You’re an adult, this is your choice.” He turned away and rubbed his head before spinning around and yanking her shirt back down. “This is definitely caused by some kind of magic! Every time I look at it, my head goes all fuzzy and I start hearin’ things that don’t make no goddamn sense!”

“Mine does too!” Sango chimed in. Miroku and Shippo shared a confused glance.

“Mine doesn’t,” Shippo supplied.

“Neither does mine. Why would some weird magic curse on Kagome’s back only affect Inuyasha and Sango?”

“Look, it doesn’t matter,” Kagome found herself saying. “We should get packed up and head out. We promised to meet up with Sesshoumaru at sunset to make this weird… Pack combo thing happen.” Inuyasha scowled at the reminder. Kagome shrugged. “And hey, maybe we’ll get lucky and he will have information about cursed magic tattoos that seem to only affect demon slayers and half-breeds.”

~ ~ ~

“This one does not have any knowledge about cursed body art,” Sesshoumaru stated flatly, arms crossed. “Perhaps the miko is sick.”

“May Rin see it?” Rin asked sweetly, giving Kagome the largest puppy-dog eyes. Kagome sighed and nodded to the girl. She clapped with excitement, eager to see the pretty art that the adults had been discussing all night long. Her hands carefully raised Kagome’s shirt and she gasped at what she found. “Milord, it’s an inu youkai that looks just like you!” Sesshoumaru’s eyes narrowed.

“Show this one,” he commanded.

 _Oh no. Do not just give in. If he wants to order you around, he needs to play the game first._ Kagome shook her head at the unbidden thought. What game? She felt like she was losing her mind. She forced herself to turn and show the Western Lord her bare back, not wanting him to decide her disobedience was grounds for the world to be minus one miko.

“It’s probably a coincidence,” she mumbled.

Inuyasha and Sango were deliberately not looking at the tattoo, their gazes firmly anywhere but on Kagome’s back. Miroku, Shippo, Rin, and even Jaken were all looking at it with appreciation. Jaken himself seemed almost jealous. Sesshoumaru however… His eyes took on that dazed look and his lips parted slightly. He inhaled and moved closer to her, his claws lightly tracing down Kagome’s back. She jumped slightly at his touch, but then forced herself to remain still.

 _Find me…_ She shook her head again. Then suddenly he turned and walked away.

“I… This Sesshoumaru will return shortly,” he stated, voice stiff. Before anyone could object, he was gone.

~ ~ ~

Sesshoumaru sat against the tree, clutching his head as more memories surged into his mind. His hand on her ass. His mouth on her breast. His cock buried inside her. _What happened?_ An image of the miko, clearly older and more mature, laying stretched out on a bed under him. One of her legs tossed over his shoulder, her hands bound to the headboard. A pleading look on her face. Desire in her eyes. His hand wrapped around her throat. He’d promised her… Promised her that she wouldn’t have to worry about some mystical jewel that threatened to take her from him. He snarled and slammed his fist against the tree in an uncharacteristic show of emotion. He broke that promise. _I shouldn’t have made such a promise in the first place without sufficient knowledge of the situation at hand!_

The miko, she was his. It was clear enough from the mark on her back. She was his once before, even if it was only for a few days, and she would be his once again. He didn’t know exactly what her foolish sister had wished for, but it didn’t matter. He had more knowledge now. He had a better understanding. And if push came to shove… There was the Shikon Jewel ready as a final effort. His beast howled eagerly inside him at the thought of the chase. She always did give a good chase. Even when he was forced to hide himself in a human form in that world, he still enjoyed the chase she gave.

He nodded firmly at his decision of returning the miko to his side by whatever means necessary. And this time, he wouldn’t be letting her go.

~ ~ ~

**Author's Note:**

> Okay! So this was longer than I thought it would be. Here I am thinking 10k words max. I stopped around 22k. I swear sometimes these characters don't know when to let me end their stories...
> 
> Anyways! Slight disclaimer: This is listed as a one-shot because it is. I know SHOCKING. But! I may or may not decide to one day come back to this story. I haven't decided yet. So as it stands, the ending is open-ended. But it IS an ending. I had a lot of fun writing it :) So if enough people yell at me, I could see myself being persuaded to continue.
> 
> Oh and the minor OC of Garret literally only exists because I figured if Kagome was living in Chicago for five years, she'd probably have some friends that didn't have Japanese heritage. Otherwise, he totally would've been... I dunno... Maybe Naraku? I just can't see Miroku as a Dom and Shippo definitely wouldn't work.
> 
> Regardless! I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! ♥


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